Senate Votes to Slash Brand USA Funding, Faces Budget Crisis

Facing ballooning federal government budget deficits, Brand USA's funding got caught in the crossfire.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a Republican-backed budget bill that would slash Brand USA's matching funds from $100 million a year to just $20 million. The controversial bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

At the same time, Brand USA faces another funding crisis — it hasn't received any matching funds from the federal government since January, according to a source close to the U.S. Travel Association and Brand USA.

That puts a strain on Brand USA's resources. It still plans to launch its America the Beautiful global marketing campaign in August, but it may begin on a smaller scale than was initially envisioned, the source said. The campaign has multiple layers, and Brand USA can roll out different levels depending how much money it has.

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