As a government shutdown looms in the very near future, the topic at the forefront of discussions across the Sunday morning political talk shows was funding the government: who is holding the most leverage, who — if anyone — is willing to budge, and what will happen if they can&#8217;t come to an agreement?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After previously canceling a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and declaring their demands for a potential deal to be &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; Trump has reportedly agreed to a rescheduled meeting to discuss plans to avoid a shutdown. Republicans and Democrats alike addressed what such a deal might look like — and thus far, a consensus it is not.
Jeffries, for example, told ABC News host Martha Raddatz on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he was willing to sit down with anyone who was interested in finding a path forward to funding the government.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,&#8221; he said.
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“We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc">https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWvRtrkObC">pic.twitter.com/tWvRtrkObC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972304860528722211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But in the same interview, he badmouthed the people he claimed to be ready to work with, saying they&#8217;d &#8220;behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda.&#8221;
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Republicans have “behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/FrrprqmxbC">pic.twitter.com/FrrprqmxbC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305063549800536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then he flipped back, saying once again that he wanted to work with the Republicans he&#8217;d just referred to as &#8220;rubber stamps&#8221; for an &#8220;extreme agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,&#8221; he said.
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“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOdlC4TrET">pic.twitter.com/IOdlC4TrET</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305251743973649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it clear that he believed Republicans — who hold a slim majority — had the advantage and did not plan to make unnecessary concessions.
&#8220;I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision,&#8221; he told Raddatz, adding that he still believed there was time for them to reach a deal.
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says “there’s still time” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” <a href="https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3">https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hmyU6JT1Y">pic.twitter.com/0hmyU6JT1Y</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972314405963510038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; opened with a statement from President Trump — who said that unless Democrats are willing to move on several key issues, the government is likely to shut down.
&#8220;I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,&#8221; he said.
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NEW THIS MORNING: President Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@costareports</a> the government is likely to shut down this week unless top Democrats address his concerns on immigration and health care, and says both parties are now at a stalemate.
“I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,”… <a href="https://t.co/VdLXd7Qxl0">pic.twitter.com/VdLXd7Qxl0</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1972313362793943395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made it clear that Republicans did not plan to give an inch — and that Democrats were just going to have to come around.
&#8220;The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,&#8221; he said.
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The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else. <a href="https://t.co/ESOndRHAO9">pic.twitter.com/ESOndRHAO9</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1972326146139467887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schumer, who has apparently learned his lesson after he worked with Republicans to avert the last potential government shutdown, also appeared on the NBC Sunday morning show and insisted that Republicans were &#8220;feeling the heat&#8221; and would soon give in to Democrats&#8217; demands.
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Republican Senators, Representatives, and even Donald Trump are feeling the heat to do something about the horrible health care crisis they’ve created. <a href="https://t.co/20SG3sKiX1">pic.twitter.com/20SG3sKiX1</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1972349160717205796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined host Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he called on members of his party to &#8220;hold the line.&#8221;
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls on his party to “hold the line” in government funding fight. <a href="https://t.co/0nn9wg5v7w">pic.twitter.com/0nn9wg5v7w</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311184863813768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Hollen, who made a name for himself when he left his own constituents twisting in the wind while he flew to El Salvador to advocate for a deported MS-13 gang member, then snarked at President Trump and suggested he&#8217;d previously refused to meet with congressional leaders because he was too busy golfing.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk,&#8221; he said.
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Trump’s meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of shutdown deadline: “It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk.” <a href="https://t.co/gjjckTkaZa">pic.twitter.com/gjjckTkaZa</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311038612643938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump explained days earlier that he&#8217;d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/do-the-right-thing-trump-axes-meeting-with-radical-dems-calls-for-realistic-terms">called off a planned meeting</a> because the demands put forth by the Democrats at the time had been unrealistic.

Donald Trump

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won’t They (Shut Everything Down)?

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won't They (Shut Everything Down)?

ABC News

CBS News

Charles Schumer

Chris Van Hollen

Government Shutdown

Hakeem Jeffries

John Thune

Media

NBC News

Politics

Steve Scalise

Multiple people are dead after what appears to be an anti-ICE attack in Dallas, red state homeowners are suing over a COVID-era bailout program, and Senate Democrats stall a funding bill that would keep the lights on in Washington.
It’s Thursday, September 25, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ice-facility-assault-government-funding-standoff-9-25-25/id1576594336?i=1000728365797" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">ICE Targeted In Dallas</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976679" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A shooter opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing multiple immigrant detainees.
The gunman shot three detainees. Two of them died from their wounds. The shooter then turned the gun on himself and died at the scene.
Photos of the aftermath of the attack showed that bullets struck windows and walls inside the facility, but no law enforcement personnel were injured.
Federal law enforcement sources tell The Daily Wire that authorities believe that the shooter was trying to shoot at ICE officers when he aimed at an unmarked van. That van was holding illegal immigrant detainees who were being walked in for processing.
The shooter: Reports indicate the alleged shooter was 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. While not much is known about his history, authorities say he did give a glimpse into his motive after leaving shell casings behind, one engraved with the words “ANTI-ICE.” The FBI is investigating the targeted shooting, and the agency’s director, Kash Patel, says the casings prove that there was “an ideological motive” behind this attack.
Step back: The fatal shooting comes amid an uptick in left-wing violence targeting law enforcement and conservatives. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke about that during a press conference on Wednesday, where he called for his left-leaning colleagues in Congress to stop fanning the flames of the violence with their rhetoric.
“To every politician who is using rhetoric demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP, stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxxed and calling for people to go after their families, stop,” said Cruz. “This has very real consequences. Look, in America, we disagree. That&#8217;s fine. That&#8217;s the democratic process. But your political opponents are not Nazis. We need to learn to work together without demonizing each other, without attacking each other.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Biden Housing Bailout Sparks Racial Backlash</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976677" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A $10 billion coronavirus-era housing bailout paid Americans&#8217; mortgages and even their HOA dues. But 40% of the funds went to black Americans, due to the program including explicit racial preferences.
Now, some white residents are suing their states, saying the government illegally withheld assistance from them based on their race.
The significance: This is one of the largest race-based government wealth transfers in history. And it happened because it came during the COVID pandemic, when the United States was hemorrhaging billions of dollars.
The program is called the <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund">Homeowner Assistance </a><a href="https://www.ncsha.org/homeowner-assistance-fund/">Fund</a>, and it provided people up to $50,000 to pay housing-related bills. It was passed by Congress and required about half the money to go to homeowners at or below the median income, while the remainder could be allocated to wealthier individuals, with priority given to “socially disadvantaged” homeowners.
“Socially disadvantaged?” Congress didn’t define it, and the program was run separately by each state, which received money after submitting a plan to the federal government. But the Biden administration heavily suggested a definition for the states to include in their plans: “those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias.”
The “presumption,” the administration said, is that “the following individuals are socially disadvantaged: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”
How it played out: In Alabama, 85% of the funds went to black residents. In Georgia, it was 82%. That’s surprising because, just based on the fact that half the money was supposed to be doled out based on income, you should have seen more people of other races. Only about half of Georgians below the median income are black. 
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit say that’s because Georgia deliberately ensured that white people didn’t even know it existed. The state’s plan included texting residents to inform them about this opportunity for $50,000 – but only residents of counties with high minority populations.
The Biden administration was never clear about the criteria, but many states used the definition provided by the Biden administration. Now, Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma are being sued by residents for going along with it, despite politicians in those states claiming to oppose DEI.
The lawsuits: In Missouri, the program was administered by a housing commission, where the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general serve as commissioners. Missouri partnered with the Black Chamber of Commerce to advertise the program, and 44% of the money went to blacks, who make up less than 12% of the population. A spokeswoman for Missouri Republican Governor Mike Kehoe declined to comment on the ongoing litigation but called him “a strong advocate for removing DEI.”
In Oklahoma, plaintiffs include a massage therapist who was forced out of a job by COVID policies and her disabled-veteran husband. They point out that the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency said prominently on its website that “African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, [and] LGBTQ+” residents would get preference.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Budget Deadline Looms Over Congress</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976675" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with Democratic congressional leaders this week to discuss government funding. The president blasted Democrats’ demands as “unserious and ridiculous” as government funding is set to expire at the end of the month.
The deadline to avert a partial government shutdown is September 30, giving lawmakers less than a week. House Republicans have already passed a clean, 7-week funding extension. However, the bill is currently stalled in the Senate. Even though the GOP holds the majority, Republicans need 60 votes, which means they need some Democrat support.
Trump had planned to meet this week with Democratic leaders – Sen. Chuck Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries – but scrapped the meeting over the Democrats’ demands. The president doubled down on Wednesday, writing on Truth Social that Democratic demands include free healthcare for illegal aliens, half a billion dollars for “Radical Left News Outlets,” leaving “DEAD PEOPLE on Medicaid and Social Security rolls,” and “men playing in women’s sports.” 
What Democrats are saying: Democrats say they won’t back down. Schumer and Jeffries have been on a media blitz this week following the meeting&#8217;s collapse. The main line of attack from Democrats is centered on healthcare.
“Republicans have engaged in an unprecedented assault on the healthcare of the American people throughout this year. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Millions of people are going to lose coverage because of what Republicans have done,” said Jeffries during an appearance on <a href="https://youtu.be/CLm2OIhjkUo?t=228">MSNBC</a>.
State of play: According to some reports, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urged Trump to cancel the meeting. Congressional Republicans thought that Democrats were unserious and that meeting with them would only erode Republicans’ leverage.
Johnson sent the House into recess after it passed its 7-week extension, and he said he won’t recall lawmakers back to DC until after the September 30 deadline. If Democrats don’t agree to a clean bill, there will be a fight over who takes the blame for the shutdown.
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MRN 9.25.25 Thu Thumbnail V4

Morning Brief: Dallas ICE Attack, Housing Bailout Sparks Racial Lawsuits & D.C.’s Budget Standoff

Chuck Schumer

COVID-19

Dallas

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mike Johnson

Morning Wire

Pandemic

Ted Cruz

Texas

The Republican-led Senate confirmed 48 of President Donald Trump&#8217;s remaining nominees for below-cabinet-level federal positions, moving ahead with what&#8217;s called an &#8220;en bloc&#8221; nominee package after Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) invoked the nuclear option.
The bloc of 48 nominees confirmed on Thursday included a number of lower level War Department positions — and several ambassadorships including those held by Kimberly Guilfoyle and Callista Gingrich — and passed 51-47 along party lines.
WATCH:
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48 NOMINEES: CONFIRMED TODAY ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateGOP</a> ended liberal obstruction and CHANGED the Senate rules to get <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’ sub-cabinet noms in place (in groups) and speed up the process.
We just confirmed the first “en bloc” nominee package of 48.
More to come. 👇 <a href="https://t.co/Dg4oxsrHCl">pic.twitter.com/Dg4oxsrHCl</a>
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin/status/1968789762707218693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Thune promised to move forward with the nuclear option a week earlier, saying that Democrats had stonewalled the process long enough.
Quoting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-implement-plan-to-push-through-federal-nominees-as-shutdown-looms">Thune</a> said that it was unacceptable for nominees to be blocked unless there was a legitimate reason or concern that made it necessary.
Thune also pointed out the fact that all of the 48 nominees in the first bloc had actually been approved out of committee — with bipartisan support — and were only being blocked in the full Senate.
The Senate Democrats, he said at the time, were intentionally stalling the process by refusing to allow the nominees to be confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, as is traditionally done with civilian nominees.
One major nominee who did not make it through on Thursday was former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), whose nomination to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations is still pending. Democrats succeeded in recent weeks in having Waltz’s nomination sent back to committee.

The 2024 Republican National Convention

48 Trump Nominees Confirmed In One Vote After Senate Goes To Nuclear Option

Congress

Mike Waltz

Senate GOP

President Donald Trump is heading to the United Nations next week for a monumental foreign policy speech to world leaders, and unless the Republican-led U.S. Senate goes into hyperdrive, he&#8217;ll do it with a Biden administration official as his UN ambassador.
Trump nominated former congressman Mike Waltz to represent the United States at the United Nations nearly four months ago, and his nomination passed out of committee — for the second time — on Wednesday morning, leaving only a full Senate vote between Waltz and confirmation. But with a packed legislative schedule and a wall of obstruction from Senate Democrats, many doubt the vote will take place in time to have him ready to go.
If Waltz isn&#8217;t confirmed, Trump&#8217;s speech will be carried out with <a href="https://usun.usmission.gov/ambassador-dorothy-camille-shea/">Dorothy Shea</a>, who was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed last summer, as the acting ambassador. Jason Miller, one of Trump&#8217;s closest advisors outside of the White House, says that should be unacceptable, and Republicans should make his confirmation a top priority.
&#8220;Schumer and the Democrats have intentionally obstructed Senate action on the president’s nominees, the majority leader has the power to keep the Senate in session to assure that Mike Waltz and the president’s team are seated at the United Nations ahead of next week’s meeting of the General Assembly — and he should do so,” Miller told The Daily Wire.
Asked about the Waltz nomination, the White House reiterated the urgency to have his team in place.
“President Trump has been clear that he wants all of his nominees confirmed as quickly as possible,” a White House official told The Daily Wire.
Republican Majority Leader John Thune&#8217;s office wouldn&#8217;t comment specifically on efforts to confirm Waltz by Monday, but said it shares Trump&#8217;s urgency.
“Not only do we share the White House’s goal of confirming the president’s team as quickly as possible, we’ve demonstrated it — confirming the Cabinet at the fastest pace in 20 years and recently breaking the Democrats’ historic nominations blockade, which will allow us to begin clearing the mounting backlog,” a spokeswoman for Thune said.
Thune has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-implement-plan-to-push-through-federal-nominees-as-shutdown-looms">implemented plans</a> to break the Democrat blockade. His procedural change allows for an unlimited number of federal nominations to be approved “en bloc” — simultaneously — so long as they were not judicial or cabinet-level positions.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-implement-plan-to-push-through-federal-nominees-as-shutdown-looms">Senate Republicans Implement Plan To Push Through Federal Nominees As Shutdown Looms</a>
But this doesn&#8217;t apply to the United Nations post, the most prominent unfilled cabinet post in the Trump administration. It was originally slated to be filled by New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who stepped aside during the confirmation process to return to Congress and bolster the Republican majority. Waltz was tapped by Trump in May after a stint as the president&#8217;s top foreign policy advisor in the White House.
Trump&#8217;s appearance comes as he works to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, as well as an end to Israel&#8217;s war on Hamas in Gaza. Trump has been a juggernaut on the world stage, and has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work to negotiate the end of conflicts around the world.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pax-trumpana-trumps-resume-for-winning-the-nobel-peace-prize">Pax Trumpana: Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Resume</a>
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken the lead on the United Nations ahead of the general assembly. Rubio <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/rubio-bars-mahmoud-abbas-from-entering-u-s-ahead-of-palestinian-statehood-push-at-un">blocked Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas</a> from entering the country, in anticipation of a push for Palestinian statehood at the gathering of world leaders.
Republicans almost certainly have the votes to confirm Waltz when the vote takes place. His nomination was delayed by Democrats, who managed to get Waltz and a handful of other nominees sent back to committee. He was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee despite a &#8220;no&#8221; vote from Republican senator Rand Paul.
Waltz has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/make-the-un-great-again-waltz-challenges-antisemitism-china-favoritism-at-united-nations">pledged</a> to &#8220;Make the UN Great Again,&#8221; if confirmed.

President Trump Meets With NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte In The Oval Office Of The White House

Trump Heads To The UN Next Week. Will He Have His UN Ambassador?

U.S. Senate

White House

With just three weeks to go before the federal government runs out of money, Senate Republicans have taken steps toward a rule change that would at least allow them to navigate around Democratic roadblocks and push through a number of stalled federal nominations.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), as <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/house/gop-need-shutdown-plan/">reported</a> by Punchbowl News, kick-started the process on Monday that would allow for an unlimited number of federal nominations to be approved “en bloc” — simultaneously — so long as they were not judicial or cabinet-level positions.
The outlet’s Andrew Desiderio explained on Monday, “Thune will file a resolution tonight that’ll include dozens of bipartisan noms awaiting confirmation. He’ll file cloture tomorrow, setting up Thurs vote at 60-vote threshold which will fail, at which point R’s will vote to overrule the chair. Vote on the res next Monday &#8230; Once the resolution is passed, Thune will file cloture on the bloc of nominees, setting up the first vote for next Wednesday. That’ll be the first time R’s will use the new rules to confirm a huge batch of Trump nominees simultaneously.”
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Once the resolution is passed, Thune will file cloture on the bloc of nominees, setting up the first vote for next Wednesday. That’ll be the first time R’s will use the new rules to confirm a huge batch of Trump nominees simultaneously.
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1965146114929414512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Desiderio then shared the list of 48 nominees named in Thune’s resolution — which included eleven War Department positions, five ambassadorships, and a host of other positions across multiple departments — and noted that all of them had already passed with bipartisan support in their respective committees.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here are the 48 (!) nominees listed in Thune’s resolution. Includes Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was nominated for U.S. ambassador to Greece
All of these were approved w/ bipartisan support in committee <a href="https://t.co/pVu7XPwn1d">https://t.co/pVu7XPwn1d</a> <a href="https://t.co/tbN3oBiIVg">pic.twitter.com/tbN3oBiIVg</a>
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1965205928271376659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Thune called out the Democrats for stonewalling President Donald Trump’s nominees from the Senate floor on Monday before filing the resolution, arguing that as former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had previously said, nominees should only be held up or blocked for “legitimate” purposes.
Noting that Democrats were supporting the nominees in committee and on the final votes, they were intentionally stalling the process by refusing to allow the nominees to be confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, as is traditionally done with civilian nominees.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrats have destroyed Senate precedent, and we’re going to fix it.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateGOP</a> will ensure that in the future, duly elected presidents are able to get their teams in places without unnecessary delay so that they can fulfill their responsibilities to the American people. <a href="https://t.co/wYw7l2XNjd">pic.twitter.com/wYw7l2XNjd</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1965140905100513469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Republican Lawmakers Work To Pass Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” On Capitol Hill

Senate Republicans Implement Plan To Push Through Federal Nominees As Shutdown Looms

Senate Republicans Implement Plan To Push Federal Nominees As Shutdown Looms

Senate Republicans

The GOP-led Senate began its August recess on Saturday evening after President Donald Trump condemned a potential deal between Republicans and Democrats on confirming his nominees.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114961522912167613" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had been &#8220;demanding&#8221; more than $1 billion in exchange for Democrats not impeding the process of confirming a &#8220;small number&#8221; of his &#8220;highly qualified&#8221; nominees.
&#8220;This demand is egregious and unprecedented, and would be embarrassing to the Republican Party if it were accepted. It is political extortion, by any other name. Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!&#8221; Trump exclaimed.
Trump also gave his blessing to Senate Republicans to begin the August recess, a change in tune by the president who had been pressing Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to stay in Washington, D.C., and keep confirming his nominees in the face of delay tactics.
&#8220;Do not accept the offer, go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are, and what a great job the Republicans are doing, and have done, for our Country,&#8221; the president added. &#8220;Have a great RECESS and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!&#8221;
The Democrats had sought to unfreeze more than $1 billion in money for the National Institutes of Health and foreign aid, as well as a pledge for no more rescissions packages to claw back funds that have already been allocated by Congress, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-tells-schumer-go-hell-over-senate-nominee-deal-funding-demands-after-negotiations-collapse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;Let me clear what happened: Donald Trump attempted to steamroll the Senate to put in place his historically unqualified nominees. But Senate Democrats wouldn’t let him,&#8221; Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1951818011523924234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a post on X.
Senators <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/1951802628465361130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a> to have pro forma sessions every few days during the August recess, preventing any recess appointments, and not return for votes until September 2. The House, which is also controlled by Republicans, already broke off for the summer.
The Senate did confirm a number of Trump&#8217;s nominees before leaving town, including a vote to keep Jeanine Pirro as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, and <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1951670915214758045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> some fiscal 2026 appropriations bills ahead of the September 30 deadline.
&#8220;Very proud of our great Republican Senators for fighting, over the Weekend and far beyond, if necessary, in order to get my great Appointments approved, and on their way to helping us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114961147474079611" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in another post on Truth Social.
He further exclaimed that &#8220;Radical Left Democrat Senators are doing everything possible to DELAY these wonderful and talented people from being approved,&#8221; and stated, &#8220;Thank you to Senator John Thune and our Republican Warriors in the Senate.&#8221;

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Trump Blesses Senate Recess, Blasts Schumer’s ‘Extortion’ Tactics

Presidential nomination

President Donald Trump attacked Senate Democrats on Thursday for slow-walking nominees to serve in his administration.
“This is what the Democrats are doing to our Nation!” Trump wrote in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114950241999184378">post</a> on Truth Social, sharing a graphic showing that in his second term, none of Trump’s civilian nominees have been approved by either voice vote or unanimous consent.
The graphic compares Trump’s second term to his first, in which 65% were fast-tracked for approval. The graphic also shows stats for former Presidents Joe Biden (57%), George W. Bush (90%), George H. W. Bush (98%), Bill Clinton (98%), and Barack Obama (90%).
“They are refusing to approve some of the best Nominees in the History of our Country. If we had George Washington and Abraham Lincoln lined up, they would do everything in their power to delay and disapprove,” Trump continued. “This should never be allowed to happen, and it has never happened before!”
The graphic came from the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who used the chart as a prop on Thursday while knocking Democrats in a speech on the Senate floor. Thune said that at the current pace Republicans are forced to work to confirm Trump’s nominees, the president’s administration will not be filled by the time he leaves office.
The current backlog on executive nominees is about 1,100, according to Thune.
“This isn&#8217;t sustainable. We can&#8217;t keep on this track,” said Thune. “This has got to change – and it will change. Either Democrats are going to play ball, or we&#8217;re going to figure out a way to change it.”
“I hope that my Democratic colleagues will come to the table. Otherwise, we&#8217;re going to be spending a whole lot more time here on the Senate floor,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have a lot of bipartisan nominees available for consideration right now.
I hope that my Democrat colleagues will come to the table, otherwise we’re going to be spending a whole lot more time here on the Senate floor. <a href="https://t.co/zLgymMc6tC">pic.twitter.com/zLgymMc6tC</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1950936556925018620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump and Thune’s attacks on Democrats come after the president on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-unconstitutional-senate-custom-that-allows-democrat-sleazebags-to-stall-judicial-noms?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Rips+%E2%80%98Unconstitutional%E2%80%99+Senate+Custom+That+Allows+Democrat+%E2%80%98SLEAZEBAGS%E2%80%99+To+Stall+Judicial+Noms">pushed</a> Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, to scrap the committee’s “blue slip” tradition to speed up the confirmation process for Trump’s judicial nominees. Customarily, a judicial nominee must receive approval from both senators of the state where the nominee would serve before the nomination can move through committee.
“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the ‘Blue Slip’ problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen,” said Trump in a Truth Social post. “Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates.”
Grassley’s office has said the senator has no plans to toss the custom aside for the president. 
“I was offended by what the President said, and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insult,” Grassley <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/07/30/congress/trump-still-pressuring-grassley-00483116">said</a> at the start of a committee meeting earlier this week.

Trump Says Neither George Washington Nor Abraham Lincoln Would Survive Dems’ Confirmation Circus

Trump Says Neither George Washington Nor Abraham Lincoln Would Survive Dems' Confirmation Circus

Executive

Senate

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) fired a warning shot at Democrats amid <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/key-senator-backs-trump-on-nixing-summer-recess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls</a> for the upper chamber to cancel its August recess and confirm more of President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominees.
In remarks on the Senate floor, Thune explained how the Senate has confirmed 107 civilian nominees over the past six months — nearly doubling the pace seen during Trump&#8217;s first term. This is happening in spite of Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-erupt-over-dem-stalling-of-trump-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeding</a> the process by forcing procedural votes in which many of them end up supporting the nominees in significant numbers, he added.
Thune described what he called a &#8220;historic level of obstruction&#8221; being waged by the minority party, noting how Trump is the only president on record not to have a single civilian nominee confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent at this point in his term. By comparison, the leader pointed out, former President Joe Biden had 44 civilian nominees confirmed by voice vote at this point in his first and only term.
&#8220;Democrats haven&#8217;t offered a shred of courtesy to President Trump, to the voters who elected him, or the people who have stepped up to serve our country in his administration,&#8221; Thune said. Yet ultimately, &#8220;the ball is in [the] Democrats&#8217; court,&#8221; he asserted.
&#8220;They can continue to drag out the process on even the most uncontroversial nominees, and we can spend a lot more hours with each other in the Senate chamber,&#8221; Thune said. &#8220;Or they can rein in their reflexive anti-Trump sentiment and allow some of his rank-and-file nominees to proceed by unanimous consent or voice vote — just as Republicans did when the roles were reversed. And I’d remind my colleagues about the dangerous and ugly precedent that they’re setting here. But the choice is theirs &#8230; whether it&#8217;s the slow way or the fast way, we&#8217;re getting President Trump&#8217;s nominees confirmed.
Earlier this month, after Congress passed the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; and a $9 billion rescissions package, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-on-senate-to-cancel-long-weekends-and-get-his-people-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Thune to keep the Senate busy cementing his second-term priorities.
&#8220;Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114882283904953607" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We need them badly!!! DJT.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Thune: Democrats’ Historic Obstruction Sets Dangerous and Ugly Precedent" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l5Fq24NrX4I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks

Thune Warns Dems Are Setting ‘Dangerous And Ugly Precedent’ With Trump’s Nominees

U.S.

Fresh off the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-house-delivers-trumps-9b-cut-to-global-aid-and-public-broadcasting-gets-final-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passage</a> of a $9 billion rescissions package and other legislative victories during the first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-months-in-trump-celebrates-revival-of-hottest-country-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six months</a> of President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says Republicans are &#8220;anxiously&#8221; waiting to see whether Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Democrats will eschew bipartisanship and push the government toward a shutdown at the beginning of October.
During an interview on Fox News, Thune spoke to &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; host Maria Bartiromo about the dozen 2026 fiscal year appropriations bills which lawmakers on Capitol Hill are putting together ahead of a September 30 deadline.
&#8220;We have got a couple, three or four of them now reported out of the Appropriations Committee. We&#8217;re going to try and get one up on the floor next week. And I hope we will find that the Democrats want to work with us,&#8221; Thune said. &#8220;They haven&#8217;t demonstrated much of a willingness on anything so far. I mean, they are making it extremely difficult to get any of the president&#8217;s nominees through the process here. It&#8217;s obstruct, it&#8217;s delay, it&#8217;s block. That&#8217;s been the pattern. And it&#8217;s Trump Derangement Syndrome on full display here in the United States Senate.&#8221;
Schumer <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-republicans-ruthless-rescissions-package-that-would-undermine-bipartisanship-and-gut-critical-programs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> earlier this month that Democrats would not be willing to cooperate if the GOP-led House and Senate chose to claw back $9 billion in funds allocated to foreign aid and public broadcasting for programs that Republicans deemed to be wasteful and idealogical driven.
&#8220;If Republicans cave to Donald Trump and gut these investments agreed to by both parties, that would be an affront — a huge affront — to the bipartisan appropriations process,&#8221; Schumer said on the Senate floor. &#8220;It is absurd to expect Democrats to play along with funding the government if Republicans are just going to renege on a bipartisan agreement by concocting rescissions packages behind closed doors that can pass with only their votes, not the customary 60 votes required in the appropriation process.&#8221;
Both the rescissions package and the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill,&#8221; which contained many of Trump&#8217;s spending and tax cut priorities, passed through Congress via processes that allowed the Senate to bypass the filibuster. However, other measures to come may not be able to avoid the hurdle.
When Bartiromo asked Thune if he believes Schumer would like to see a government shutdown in the coming weeks, the majority leader did not dismiss the idea.
&#8220;I think he probably thinks that it&#8217;s beneficial to their political base, the far left of the Democrat Party, and you see it on — you can kind of see what&#8217;s happening up there in New York politics,&#8221; Thune replied, alluding to socialist Zohran Mamdani winning the primary in the race for New York City major.
&#8220;This is a party struggling for an identity. This is a party that&#8217;s completely out of step with the mainstream of this country. And I think, frankly, although it&#8217;s not going to be in their interest in the long term to do it, we&#8217;re going to be waiting to see anxiously what Chuck Schumer and other leaders on the Democrat side decide to do,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Because, ultimately, keeping the government funded is good for the country, and hopefully we will have bipartisan cooperation to do that. But if their recent track record is any indication, they&#8217;re under a tremendous amount of pressure from that far left wing of the Democrat Party to shut the government down.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Thune Joins Maria Bartiromo on Fox News" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vfzEMNJQu0E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

Thune Warns Schumer May Cave To Far Left, Push For Govt Shutdown In Coming Weeks

Spending Bill

President Donald Trump called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Saturday, asking him to push ahead and confirm his &#8220;incredible nominees&#8221; even if that meant cancelling a few long weekends or the scheduled August recess.
Trump made the request via his Truth Social platform, boasting about the accomplishments already made by his administration and the Republican-led Congress and encouraging Thune to keep the momentum going.
&#8220;Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed. We need them badly!!! DJT,&#8221; he posted.
The president&#8217;s request came just one day after his Director of National Intelligence <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-admin-suppressed-intel-showing-russia-didnt-impact-2016-election-tulsi-reveals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsi Gabbard</a> revealed efforts  made by former President Obama&#8217;s administration to suppress intelligence showing that Russia had not impacted the 2016 presidential election.
Trump&#8217;s Rapid Response Team also shared video of Gabbard discussing her recent findings on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;The Big Weekend Show,&#8221; where she explained, &#8220;We had, in President Obama and his leadership team, people who did not want to accept the will of the American people in electing Donald Trump in 2016 — and therefore cooked up this treasonous conspiracy to … effectively launch a years-long coup against the sitting President of the United States.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DNIGabbard</a>: “We had, in President Obama and his leadership team, people who did not want to accept the will of the American people in electing Donald Trump in 2016 — and therefore cooked up this treasonous conspiracy to… effectively launch a years-long coup against the sitting… <a href="https://t.co/nFYB5ie7N9">pic.twitter.com/nFYB5ie7N9</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1946637492633129253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gabbard first revealed the information in a Friday thread on X, saying in part, &#8220;On Dec 8, 2016, IC officials prepared an assessment for the President’s Daily Brief, finding that Russia ‘did not impact recent U.S. election results’ by conducting cyber attacks on infrastructure. Before it could reach the President, it was abruptly pulled ‘based on new guidance.’ This key intelligence assessment was never published.&#8221;
&#8220;Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes,” the brief stated.
According to Gabbard&#8217;s findings, the FBI had requested at the time that the brief&#8217;s publication be delayed until concerns could be addressed — and then-Director James Comey oversaw the bureau&#8217;s drafting of a formal &#8220;dissent.&#8221;

Trump Calls On Senate To Cancel ‘Long Weekends’ And Get His People Confirmed

Trump Calls On Senate To Cancel 'Long Weekends' And Get His People Confirmed

The Senate voted 51-50 on Tuesday to move forward a White House-backed $9 billion spending cut bill that would slash foreign aid and funding for the parent entity of NPR and PBS. 
The procedural vote moves the recissions package to the last debate and amendment stage before it receives a final vote. Vice President JD Vance broke the tie in the chamber after Republican Senators Mitch McConnell (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Susan Collins (ME) joined the Democrats to vote against the bill. 
The proposal will cut previously approved funding for international organizations, the Democracy Fund, migration and refugee assistance, the Clean Technology Fund, the U.S. Institute of Peace, USAID, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS. The cuts were first proposed by the White House and the Department of Government Efficiency project in May. 
After meeting with Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Senate Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-drop-aids-relief-cuts-from-rescissions-package?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Senate+Republicans+Drop+%E2%80%98AIDS+Relief%E2%80%99+Cuts+From+Rescissions+Package">are planning</a> to remove a provision from the House-backed version of the bill that cuts $400 million in funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 
&#8220;There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue, and so that’s reflected in the substitute,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-shrink-trumps-spending-cut-package-ahead-key-vote-rcna218962">said</a>. &#8220;And we hope that if we can get this across the finish line in the Senate, that the House would accept that one small modification that ends up making the package still about a $9 billion rescissions package. A little less than what was sent over the House, but nonetheless a significant down payment on getting rid of waste, fraud, abuse in our government.&#8221;
The White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-says-media-pushing-fake-news-about-global-hiv-aids-funding?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=White+House+Says+Media+Pushing+Fake+News+About+Global+HIV%2FAIDS+Funding">also said</a> Tuesday that it would not be making wide-scale cuts to global AIDS/HIV funding. 
The recissions package has until Friday to make it to President Donald Trump’s desk, or the previously approved spending will begin to be distributed. Trump has threatened not to support or endorse any senator who votes against the spending cuts. 
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN &amp; MSDNC put together,” he posted on Truth Social last week. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), who was initially reported to be unsupportive of the bill due to concerns that American Indian public radio stations would lose funding, stated that he had reached an agreement with the Trump administration. He voted to advance the bill on Tuesday. 
&#8220;This is a direct agreement with OMB that they would transfer the funds over to the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior has agreed to accept it and to issue the grants,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve told them very clearly what we want is those resources to be made available to these Native American radio stations.&#8221;

Senate Republicans Move Closer To Finalizing $9B DOGE Cuts Ahead Of Friday Deadline

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

JD Vance

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Russ Vought

Trump Administration

Senate Republicans are removing $400 million in proposed funding cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program from a rescissions package ahead of a deadline at the end of this week.
The decision was announced after GOP senators met on Tuesday with White House Director Russell Vought regarding the measure designed to codify spending reductions in line with recommendations from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1945193756086378516" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters there was &#8220;a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue,&#8221; resulting in a &#8220;small modification&#8221; that leaves the rescissions package, which seeks to slash funds for programs Republicans deem to be wasteful and ideologically driven, at roughly $9 billion.
The GOP-led House narrowly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-doge-cuts-targeting-foreign-aid-npr-and-pbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the rescissions package in June following a request by the Trump administration. It sought to claw back $9.4 billion in &#8220;reckless spending,&#8221; as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) told The Daily Wire, by targeting foreign aid projects and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funds to NPR and PBS.
Under the Impoundment Control Act, lawmakers in Congress were given 45 days to act on the request, and it requires only a simple majority in the House and Senate — meaning the filibuster threshold can be ignored. The deadline is Friday, meaning the Senate and the House must both pass the revised measure in the next couple of days.
House Republicans had been urging the Senate not to make any changes, but they could end up approving the slimmer version, particularly after the White House <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5402273-white-house-accepts-pepfar-exemption/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> gave the Senate its blessing to remove the PEPFAR section.
Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) responded in particular to Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who said she wanted to strike the PEPFAR cuts from the rescissions package, contending the program was a success in saving millions of lives.
&#8220;All of that spending” is a far cry from PEPFAR’s original mission, to combat &#8220;the AIDS epidemic in Africa when it first started,&#8221; Harris <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-urge-senate-colleagues-to-pass-rescissions-package-with-sense-of-urgency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Daily Wire.
In addition, a senior Trump administration official told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that &#8220;limited&#8221; program cuts to PEPFAR took aim at &#8220;LGBTQ education and capacity building — not core life-saving care.&#8221;
Democrat senators and the independents who caucus with them are likely to vote in unison against passing the measure, leaving Republicans and their <a href="https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slim</a> majority unable to afford more than a couple GOP defectors. Vice President JD Vance might be needed for a tie-breaker.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/SenatorRounds/status/1945145431916233064" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Monday that he came around on the rescissions package after the Trump administration helped find money that could be reallocated to continue grants for tribal broadcast services that offer &#8220;potentially lifesaving emergency alerts&#8221; in his state.

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