Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said before the vote that some of the progress stemmed from removing a spending cut for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, a global health program to combat HIV/AIDS launched by former President George W. Bush.

As the Senate prepares to vote on a bill to rescind $40 billion in promised foreign aid, critics of the measure say a thorough governmental review of targeted programs did not actually take place.

The Senate voted to advance a rescissions package despite the reservations of centrists over the Department of Government Efficiency-inspired cuts.

Paula Kerger, PBS president, warns that a $500 million funding cut could severely impact rural stations, eliminating up to 50% of their resources and jeopardizing educational programming.