Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives early Friday approved a sweeping $9 billion package of spending cuts backed by President Donald Trump, targeting foreign aid and public broadcasting in what they described as the first step in a broader campaign to slash federal expenditures.
The vote, passed along mostly party lines by 216 to 213, follows similar approval in the Senate and now heads to the White House for Trump’s signature.
The cuts, which claw back already approved funding, include $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and billions more from programs aiding countries affected by conflict, disease, and natural disasters. An earlier proposal to reduce funding for a global AIDS initiative was dropped following pushback from moderate Republicans.
“President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency—and this vote delivers,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post-midnight statement.
The reductions represent only a fraction of the $1 trillion in savings once promised by Elon Musk, who briefly led a federal cost-cutting initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before a high-profile exit in May.
Critics, however, condemned the vote as politically motivated and warned of dangerous consequences. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described it as “extreme and reckless,” accusing Republicans of “rubber-stamping Trump’s rescission agenda at the expense of global health and public media.”
Senate Democrats echoed those concerns, with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it “a dark day for any American who relies on public broadcasting during floods, hurricanes, or disasters.”
With government funding set to expire in September, the move could deepen partisan tensions in future budget negotiations. Democrats, though in the minority, still hold significant leverage in the Senate, where 60 votes are required to pass appropriations legislation.
White House Budget Director Russell Vought signaled more rescission packages could follow, telling a Christian Science Monitor forum Thursday that further proposals are “very likely.”
