Senate Republicans appear to be walking another fine line on passing a rescissions package that would codify $9.4 billion in cuts to foreign aid programs and public broadcasting.

The GOP majority can afford to lose only three votes if all Democrats oppose, which is expected. The Senate on Wednesday began debate on the legislation, with a final floor vote expected Wednesday night or Thursday. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is the only Republican to publicly state Wednesday she will be voting no, but Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also appears to be against the measure.

Murkowski, Collins, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky were Republican no votes Tuesday in a procedural measure to advance the legislation for a final floor vote, but the legislation stayed afloat after Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote. Vance's tiebreaking vote also was needed to pass the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act earlier this month.

Note: The Media Research Center urges you to let your Senator know your opinion on NPR and PBS funding before the vote, call Senators at 202-224-3121 or Go Here Now

The rescissions package, approved by the House last month, cuts $8.3 billion from foreign aid programs and $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Services. Congressional Republicans believe NPR and PBS have become politically biased toward Democrats and have been concerned about whether taxpayer dollars should be used on such media outlets.

"I can tell you that there has probably been no single issue that has drawn out more interest across the state of Alaska than support for public broadcasting," Murkowski told reporters Wednesday.

"I come from a state that is extraordinarily rural. I come from a state where access to other forms of information and communication may be limited. Everything may just come by way of your radio.

"The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is there for a reason, and I think it has stood the test of time. I don't disagree that NPR over the years has tilted more partisan. That can be addressed. But you don't need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is what this rescission does. I'm going to continue to ensure that doesn't happen," she said.

Congress has until midnight Friday to pass the legislation and for President Donald Trump to sign it into law. If the deadline is not met, the Trump administration will be required to distribute the funds. The House will need to take another vote to approve any changes made by the Senate.

The White House reportedly agreed to a request by Senate Republicans to retract $400 million in cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that would have reduced the program's funding to $9 billion.

Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and McConnell, the former longtime GOP leader in the upper chamber, were concerned over what they deemed a lack of transparency from the Office of Management and Budget [OMB] regarding what foreign aid programs would be affected.

"The rescissions package has a big problem: Nobody really knows what program reductions are in it," Collins said Tuesday night in a statement after the vote. "That isn't because we haven't had time to review the bill. Instead, the problem is that OMB has never provided the details that would normally be part of this process."

McConnell echoed Collins' statements Tuesday night.

"OMB is the problem," he said. "They won't tell us how they're going to apply the cut. I want to make it clear I don't have any problem with reducing spending. ... They would like a blank check is what they would like, and I don't think that's appropriate."

McConnell has not publicly commented on how he would proceed in the final floor vote. Newsmax reached out to McConnell for comment.

Two other Republican senators reportedly on the fence, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, voted to advance the legislation Tuesday.

Moran said in a statement Tuesday night: "Congress should pass the President's rescission package to save taxpayer dollars. While this legislation provides the administration flexibility on which funds they return, I included an amendment that clarifies that funding will not be taken from the administration of commodity-based programs like Food for Peace and McGovern-Dole that provide a critical market for our farmers to sell excess commodities."

Newsmax reached out to Sullivan for comment.

Note: The Media Research Center urges you to let your Senator know your opinion on NPR and PBS funding before the vote, call Senators at 202-224-3121 or Go Here Now