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2w ago

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.

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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
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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.