Particle.news
Download on the App Store
11 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Senator Smith’s Overnight Hospitalization Alters Senate Vote on $9 Billion Rescissions Bill

Her absence allowed Republicans to advance the package without Vice President Vance’s tiebreaking vote, leaving the bill’s fate to upcoming procedural motions.

Image
U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) delivers remarks during the Democratic Caucus lunch press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., on January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden
Image
Image

Overview

  • Sen. Tina Smith was taken to George Washington University Hospital for overnight observation after feeling unwell while working at the U.S. Capitol.
  • Her absence gave Republicans a temporary seven-vote edge in the evenly divided Senate as they moved the rescissions bill forward.
  • Senate Republicans advanced the package without relying on Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking authority on procedural motions.
  • The $9 billion measure seeks to claw back more than $9 billion in approved spending, including over $1 billion designated for public broadcasting and billions more in foreign aid.
  • Smith remains under observation and expects to return to the Senate floor soon ahead of final procedural votes on the bill.