In a razor-thin vote Thursday, House Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s $9.4 billion rescissions package, a sweeping rollback of federal spending that targets the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and strips taxpayer funding from National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
The bill passed 214–212, with four Republicans breaking ranks to join all Democrats in opposition. The vote reflects the GOP’s narrow control of the House and hands a legislative win to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and President Trump, whose administration has pushed aggressively to shrink the federal footprint in foreign aid and public media.
“This bill will OFFICIALLY claw back $9.4 BILLION DOLLARS in funding for wasteful Foreign Aid, Radical DEI programs, the Green New SCAM, and biased outlets like NPR and PBS,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social following the vote.
The rescissions package now heads to the Senate, which remains under Republican control but may pose a more complex path due to moderate holdouts.
Target: USAID, NPR, and PBS
The package codifies efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to dismantle USAID and reassign its essential programs to the State Department. Critics of USAID argue the agency has supported progressive causes overseas under the guise of development work. Supporters say it advances U.S. interests by stabilizing regions and preventing humanitarian crises.
Also in the crosshairs: NPR and PBS. Trump signed an executive order last month cutting off federal funds to both outlets, citing what he and many Republicans view as entrenched ideological bias. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which channels funding to public media nationwide, would be eliminated under the bill.
While NPR claims only about 1% of its revenue comes directly from CPB, Republicans point out that federal funds indirectly support NPR via local affiliates, who use CPB grants to buy NPR programming. PBS stations, meanwhile, receive around 15% of their funding from federal sources.
LaLota Flip, Democratic Absences Key to Passage
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) switched his vote at the last moment, ensuring the measure passed. The GOP majority was further buoyed by the absence of three House Democrats, all of whom died earlier this year, highlighting how razor-thin margins can have outsized impacts.
Speaker Johnson called the bill a “critical step toward fiscal sanity,” and praised DOGE’s work in identifying waste. “This is how we start to restore trust in government: by ending spending on bloated, biased, and broken institutions.”
DOGE, Elon Musk, and Trump’s Vision
The Department of Government Efficiency, a Trump initiative launched during his second term, has drawn both praise and criticism for its aggressive auditing of federal agencies. Billionaire Elon Musk, who served as a special government employee at DOGE for 130 days before stepping down last month, helped shape many of the department’s high-profile recommendations. Musk and Trump had a public spat over the bill’s scope but have recently appeared to reconcile.
What’s Next?
The bill now moves to the Senate. While Republicans hold a majority, some members have voiced concerns about eliminating USAID and defunding public media entirely. Senate Majority Leader J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has signaled support, but procedural hurdles and possible amendments could delay the process.
If passed by the Senate, the bill would head to President Trump’s desk for signature — a formality, given his vocal support. The move would mark a significant ideological and fiscal shift, solidifying Trump’s second-term agenda of cutting federal involvement in what he calls “globalist pet projects and taxpayer-funded propaganda.
