GEOFF BENNETT: On Capitol Hill today, senators questioned President Trump's budget director, Russell Vought, over the administration's proposed funding cuts to foreign aid and public media.

Our congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins, was there and joins us now for an update.

OK, so Lisa, tell us what you learned today, and remind us what's happening here, why this all matters.

LISA DESJARDINS: Right, it matters for two reasons.

One, this is a first and key test of the Trump and DOGE Elon Musk philosophy for cuts.

Does Congress actually agree with the specifics here?

Second, a lot is on the line here for foreign aid, billions of dollars that would affect communities overseas, and also two years of funding for public broadcasting.

We did learn some things today from Vought.

We learned more about exactly what he thinks the administration is doing here.

And he said the cuts that they're doing are broad on purpose because they don't trust the NGOs, the sort of nonprofits, that have been administering them.

He said they're too liberal, and he says the point is that they need to be cut off.

RUSSELL VOUGHT, Director, Office of Management and Budget: We don't want to re-up the same spending to the same NGO with a different grant title.

That's not success here.

And so it will take some time for us to be able to find the types of groups that can dispense these funds in ways that are consistent with this administration's priorities.

LISA DESJARDINS: And he argues they're also against American priorities.

Now, part of this revolves around global health money, which includes PEPFAR and money for HIV prevention.

That's very controversial.

Many senators want to keep it.

He said there is no lifesaving dollars or funding that's being cut here, but senators were skeptical and, in fact, raised examples that they say show he's wrong.

Senator Susan Collins, the chair of the committee, said she was skeptical.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): And I know for a fact that both of these products, which are made entirely in America, are being held up.

One -- this is -- this peanut butter-based supplement is in a warehouse.

LISA DESJARDINS: Now, Vought didn't have a direct answer on that.

He said, I think we're funding it.

But Collins and multiple other Republicans also raised concerns for local public broadcasting, in particular, radio stations in Native American territory.

GEOFF BENNETT: So what are the expectations at this point?

I mean, are these cuts on track to pass?

LISA DESJARDINS: It's hard to say.

To be honest, the timing here matters quite a lot.

So I want to take people through what's going to happen here.

First, the Senate is likely to change this bill, I think, when it gets to the floor.

Now, the Senate has to vote on this.

The plan is after it votes on the so-called big, beautiful bill.

The deadline for the rescissions package is July 18.

So these deadlines aren't matching very well.

In all, my reporting is that the committee is not going to take a vote.

This will probably go directly to the floor after July 7.

There will be a short window to change it.

If it was a secret ballot vote, Geoff, I think this would fail.

But it is a test of how people want to show in public their support or not for Donald Trump.

It is close, and it's up to each of just a handful of senators to decide.

GEOFF BENNETT: That July 18 deadline, after that, it expires entirely?

LISA DESJARDINS: That's right, correct.

GEOFF BENNETT: Which is unlike the July 4 self-imposed deadline that President Trump set for the big, beautiful bill.

LISA DESJARDINS: Correct.

If it doesn't get through Congress by July 18, the funding stays.

GEOFF BENNETT: Lisa Desjardins, what don't you know?

LISA DESJARDINS: A lot.

(LAUGHTER) GEOFF BENNETT: Thanks for being here.

Appreciate it.