House Votes to Cut $9.4bn in Spending, Targeting Foreign Aid and Public Broadcasting
The US House of Representatives has narrowly voted to cut approximately $9.4bn in spending already approved by Congress, as the Trump administration seeks to follow through on its efforts to reduce government expenditure. The package, which targets foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was passed by a vote of 214-212.
According to The Guardian, which first reported on the proposed spending cuts, Republicans are characterizing the spending as wasteful and unnecessary, while Democrats argue that the rescissions will harm the United States’ standing in the world and lead to needless deaths. "Cruelty is the point," said Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing the proposed spending cuts.
The Trump administration is employing a tool rarely used in recent years, which allows the president to transmit a request to Congress to cancel previously appropriated funds. This triggers a 45-day clock, during which the funds are frozen pending congressional action. If Congress fails to act within that period, the spending stands. As The Guardian notes, the benefit of a formal rescissions request is that passage requires only a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, instead of the 60 votes usually required to get spending bills through that chamber.
The package contains 21 proposed rescissions, including the cancellation of $900m from $10bn approved for global health programs. This includes $500m for activities related to infectious diseases and child and maternal health, and $400m to address the global HIV epidemic. The Trump administration is also seeking to cancel $800m, or a quarter of the amount Congress approved, for a program providing emergency shelter, water, and sanitation, and family reunification for those forced to flee their own country.
As reported by The Guardian, about 45% of the savings sought by the White House would come from two programs designed to boost the economies, democratic institutions, and civil societies in developing countries. The Republican president has also asked lawmakers to rescind nearly $1.1bn from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount it is slated to receive during the next two budget years. About two-thirds of the money gets distributed to more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations, with nearly half of those stations serving rural areas of the country.
The association representing local public television stations warns that many of them would be forced to close if the Republican measure passes. Representative Lisa McClain, House Republican conference chair, defended the spending cuts, saying, "This rescissions package sends $9.4bn back to the US treasury. That’s $9.4bn of savings that taxpayers won’t see wasted. It’s their money." The Senate majority leader, John Thune, said the chamber would probably not take the bill up until July, after it has dealt with Trump’s big tax and immigration bill. He also said it was possible the Senate could tweak the bill.
The administration is likening the first rescissions package to a test case and says more could be on the way if Congress goes along. Republicans, sensitive to concerns that Trump’s sweeping tax and immigration bill would increase future federal deficits, are anxious to demonstrate spending discipline. As The Guardian notes, the cuts in the package amount to just a sliver of the spending approved by Congress each year, but Republicans are betting that the cuts will prove popular with constituents who align with Trump’s "America first" ideology, as well as those who view NPR and PBS as having a liberal bias.
This development has sparked concerns about the impact of the spending cuts on rural America, with many public radio and television stations serving rural areas facing potential closure. As The Guardian previously reported, "If Trump cuts funding to NPR and PBS, rural America will pay a devastating price." The proposed spending cuts have also raised concerns about the impact on global health programs and humanitarian aid.
The House vote has set the stage for a contentious debate in the Senate, where the bill’s fate will be decided in the coming weeks. As the Trump administration pushes forward with its efforts to reduce government expenditure, it remains to be seen how the proposed spending cuts will affect the country’s standing in the world and the lives of Americans.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/npr-pbs-funds-house-republicans
Original Publication: The Guardian
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