Democratic senators negotiated for release of billions in funds in exchange for confirmation deals, sources say [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: August 3, 2025 / 5:20 PM EDT


In a whirlwind of negotiations over three days, Democrats asked for multiple billions in government funds to be released in exchange for a vote on a batch of nominees President Trump wanted confirmed before lawmakers left for their August break, sources told CBS News.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was negotiating with GOP leadership for $5 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $1 billion for the Global Fund, $300 million for the World Food Program, $50 million to fight HIV in developing countries, about $140 million for the United Nations Children's Fund, and other money funding that had been previously approved, sources said.

After much back and forth, senators believed they had an agreement to get about 20 nominations through before Mr. Trump on Saturday nixed the deal, several sources said. Some of the negotiations were about Republicans not withholding funds Congress has already agreed to. Schumer wanted no clawbacks, including so-called pocket rescissions, two of the sources said, referring to presidential funding cut proposals to Congress that are very late in the fiscal year.

As of now, about 140 Trump nominees await a vote, including some 30 ambassadors. Among those are Mike Waltz, who is awaiting a confirmation vote as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, nominated for U.S. ambassador to Greece. Those who were confirmed Saturday include Defense Department officials Earl Matthews and Adam Telle; trade official Will Kimmitt; judicial officials Jeanine Pirro and Jason Quinones; and ambassadors Andrew Puzder for the European Union and Brian Burch for the Vatican. Also confirmed was Senate Majority Leader John Thune's son-in-law, Luke Lindberg, for an undersecretary post at the Agriculture Department.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-senators-negotiated-for-release-of-billions-in-funds-in-exchange-for-confirmation-deals-sources-say/