US Congress Approves $9 Billion Reduction in Foreign Aid and Public Media Funding
The House of Representatives has approved President Donald Trump’s proposal to cut $9 billion from funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, forwarding the measure to the White House for presidential approval.
On Friday morning, the Republican-majority House passed Trump’s plan to eliminate $9 billion (€7.74 billion) designated for foreign assistance and public media.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated shortly after the vote, “President Trump and House Republicans have committed to fiscal responsibility and effective governance. Today, we are fulfilling that commitment.”
The vote concluded with a tally of 216 in favor and 213 against the funding cuts. Two Republican representatives, Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania and Mike Turner from Ohio, joined Democrats in opposing the cuts.
### Overview of Cuts in Trump’s Legislation
These budget reductions constitute only a small portion of the anticipated $3 trillion increase in national debt projected under Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Furthermore, this amount pales in comparison to the $1 trillion annual savings that former Trump ally Elon Musk had pledged during his brief tenure leading a federal cost-cutting initiative.
The majority of these spending reductions will impact nations grappling with health crises, conflict, and natural disasters. Additionally, there will be a reduction of $1.1 billion allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the next two years.
Conservative lawmakers argue that federal support for media—primarily benefitting over 1,500 local public radio and television stations as well as NPR and PBS—is unnecessary and results in biased reporting.
An additional $400 million intended for a global AIDS program known for saving 26 million lives was initially slated for cuts but was preserved due to pushback from moderate Republicans.
### Reactions: Republicans Applaud; Democrats Warn
“REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS AND FAILED… BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!” President Trump expressed on Truth Social.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz defended the cuts to public broadcasting by claiming it has been overtaken by “partisan activists.”
Florida Representative Aaron Bean remarked: “We are making a small step towards reducing wasteful expenditure while taking a significant leap toward fiscal responsibility.”
Some Republicans had delayed passage of the bill over demands for greater transparency regarding documents related to deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A resolution was subsequently adopted requiring those documents to be released by the US attorney general within 30 days to facilitate bill approval.
Democrats criticized these budget cuts while reiterating their threat to block future budgets if Musk’s proposed reductions were enacted into law.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries argued that these cuts would jeopardize national safety and diminish America’s influence abroad by limiting rural Americans’ access to vital emergency information provided through public radio.
“The vote tonight clearly indicates that House Republicans are intent on driving this country toward an unavoidable government shutdown later this year,” stated the Democratic party in their announcement.
While passing this budget requires securing 60 votes out of 100 in the Senate, Republicans hold only 53 seats, which affords minority Democrats some negotiating power.
