Republicans are considering changes to Trump’s request for $9.4 billion in spending cuts

WASHINGTON AP Senate Republicans were exploring changes Tuesday to President Donald Trump s request to cancel billion in previously approved spending targeted by his Department of Leadership Efficiency signaling likely difficulties ahead of an central test vote The president is looking to claw back billion of funding authority from the Corporation for Community Broadcasting and about billion from foreign aid programs that aim to fight famine and syndrome and promote global stability Congress has until Friday to get a bill to the president s desk for his signature or the spending stands Senate Majority Leader John Thune R-S D declared various GOP senators would like to see modest changes to the bill He ll need nearly every Republican senator on board to get the package approved but chosen are questioning the severity of the cuts to general media and to a global vitality scheme known as PEPFAR that has saved millions of lives since it was established under then-President George W Bush We re trying to find out if there s a path forward that gets us votes and stays consistent with what the White House proposed in terms of a rescissions package Thune advised reporters Republicans were expected to hear directly from Russ Vought the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget during their weekly conference luncheon on Tuesday as the White House worked to address their concerns The White House campaign to win over expected holdouts was already having chosen success Sen Mike Rounds R-S D tweeted that he would vote to aid the measure after working with the administration to find Green New Deal money that could be reallocated to continue grants to tribal radio stations without interruption Sen Susan Collins of Maine the Republican chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee noted she still had questions about what the administration was seeking to cut from global healthcare programs Other senators are worried that the cuts to community media could decimate plenty of of the local radio and television stations around the country that rely on certain federal funding to operate The Corporation for Populace Broadcasting distributes more than of its funding to those stations Democrats are expected to unanimously oppose the package They see the president s request as an effort to erode the Senate filibuster They also warn it s absurd to expect them to work with Republicans on bipartisan spending measures if Republicans turn around a insufficient months later and use their majority to cut the parts they don t like It shreds the appropriations process mentioned Sen Angus King an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats The Appropriations Committee and indeed this body becomes a rubber stamp for whatever the administration wants If senators vote to take up the bill it sets up the feasible for hours of debate plus votes on scores of potentially thorny amendments in what is known as a vote-a-rama The House has already shown its patronage for the president s request with a mostly party line - vote but if the Senate amends the bill it will have to go back to the House for another vote We re encouraging our Senate partners over there to get the job done and to pass it as it is House Speaker Mike Johnson disclosed Tuesday That s what we did Republicans who vote against the measure also face the prospect of incurring Trump s wrath He has issued a warning on his social media site directly aimed at individual Senate Republicans who may be considering voting against the rescissions package He explained it was essential that all Republicans adhere to the bill and in particular defund the Corporation for Society Broadcasting Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my advocacy or Endorsement he disclosed