WASHINGTON — July 18, 2025 — The House of Representatives has approved President Donald Trump’s request to cut about $9 billion from previously approved government funding. The cuts mostly affect public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. The final vote was close — 216 to 213 — and the bill now goes to the president for his signature.

This marks the first time in decades that a president’s request to cancel previously approved spending, known as a rescissions request, has passed. It also shows the Republican Party’s push to reduce funding for programs they say no longer reflect their values.

Major Cuts to Public Broadcasting and Foreign Aid

The bill includes:

• $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), removing all of its federal funding for the next two years.
• Nearly $8 billion in cuts to foreign aid, including money for humanitarian aid and global development programs.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the bill a move toward “fiscal sanity.” But Democrats strongly opposed it.

“No one believes Republicans are truly targeting wasteful spending,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

The Senate had already passed the bill 51–48 along party lines. The House vote was delayed while Republicans and Democrats argued over a separate issue involving Jeffrey Epstein-related documents.

Public Broadcasting Faces Full Federal Cut

The $1.1 billion cut eliminates all federal support for the CPB, which funds over 1,500 public TV and radio stations across the U.S., including NPR and PBS.

The White House defended the cut, calling public broadcasting “politically biased” and no longer necessary.

However, even some Republican senators raised concerns, especially for rural communities that rely on public stations for emergency alerts.

“This isn’t just your news — it’s your tsunami alert, your volcano alert,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

On the same day the Senate debated the bill, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake near the Alaska Peninsula triggered tsunami warnings — shared through local public stations.

Deep Cuts to Foreign Aid Programs

The bill also cuts:

• $800 million for refugee assistance
• $500 million for food, water, and health aid in crisis zones
• $4.15 billion for global development and democracy-building programs

Democrats say the cuts could reduce America’s influence around the world and give more room for countries like China to step in.

“This isn’t America First — it’s China First,” said Rep. Jeffries on the House floor.

The White House argues the cuts will encourage other countries to take more responsibility and help ease the burden on U.S. taxpayers.

“This is the people’s money,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), head of the House Rules Committee.

A controversial $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a global program fighting HIV/AIDS, was removed after pushback from both parties.

Worries Over How the Bill Was Passed

Some lawmakers are concerned that the rescissions process bypasses the usual bipartisan budgeting process. Because these types of bills need only a simple majority in the Senate, Republicans were able to pass it without any Democratic support.

“This undercuts Congress’s power over federal spending,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of only two Republicans to vote against the bill.

Even some Republicans who voted for the bill had concerns.

“Let’s not make a habit of this,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who criticized the White House for not providing enough details.

More Budget Cuts on the Way

Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said more rescission packages could be coming soon.

“We’re willing to go the distance to make this happen,” he said during a press briefing.

Although the $9 billion in cuts are a small part of the overall federal budget, the White House sees this as a symbolic win in its larger effort to reduce government spending.

Source: AP News – House gives final approval to Trump’s $9 billion cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid

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Foreign aid and public broadcasting on the chopping block as House faces Friday deadline

The U.S. Senate has approved a sweeping $9 billion package of federal spending cuts championed by former President Donald Trump, sending the measure back to the House just days before a critical deadline.

The legislation—which slashes funds from foreign aid programs and public broadcasting—is part of Trump’s broader push through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to roll back previously approved government spending.

What’s in the Package?

The bill, narrowly passed in the Senate by a 51–48 vote early Thursday morning, includes:

• $8 billion in cuts to foreign aid, largely targeting the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and
• $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund outlets like NPR and PBS.

The cuts were advanced under special budget reconciliation rules that allow Republicans to move the package forward without needing Democratic support. But the House must pass the revised bill by Friday to meet those rules.

Internal GOP Divisions Surface

While most Senate Republicans supported the plan, a few key GOP senators voiced strong objections. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted against the final bill, citing concerns over transparency and congressional oversight.

“The rescissions package has a big problem—nobody really knows what program reductions are in it,” Collins said after the vote.

Murkowski warned that the process bypassed normal legislative review, saying, “We’re lawmakers. We should be legislating. What we’re getting now is direction from the White House.”

PEPFAR and Tribal Radio Funding Spared

To win over hesitant Republicans, the Trump administration made key concessions before the vote:

• A proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the U.S. global AIDS relief program, was dropped after bipartisan pushback.
• Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) backed the bill only after securing an agreement to protect funding for tribal and rural radio stations in South Dakota.

“We wanted to make sure tribal broadcast services in South Dakota continued to operate, which provide potentially lifesaving emergency alerts,” Rounds said on X (formerly Twitter).

House Must Now Act Fast

The House initially passed the bill in June, but must vote again after the Senate made changes—specifically adopting a substitute amendment that modifies the House version. Speaker Mike Johnson has urged the House to move swiftly.

“We’re going to process whatever they send us, whenever they send us,” Johnson said, acknowledging the House GOP’s tight majority.

If the House approves the Senate version before the Friday deadline, the bill will head to Trump’s desk. He is expected to sign it immediately.

Vice President Vance Breaks Ties

Vice President JD Vance played a pivotal role in advancing the bill, casting tie-breaking votes during several procedural hurdles earlier this week.

His involvement underscores how narrow the margin was—and how contentious the issue remains within the Republican ranks.

What’s Next?

This marks the second time in July that the House has had to quickly respond to Senate-altered legislation ahead of a key deadline. The push to reduce foreign aid and public media spending could signal more aggressive moves by Trump-aligned Republicans to reshape federal funding priorities.

The outcome of Friday’s House vote will determine whether these cuts become law—or stall under internal party disputes.

Source: CNN – Senate sends Trump’s DOGE cuts package to the House as deadline to pass it closes in

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