GOP Members of the House forging ahead with a late-night vote on Donald Trump's Doge reduction plan, while discussions persist over a distinct vote concerning Jeffrey Epstein documents
In a closely-contested vote along party lines, House Republicans have approved President Donald Trump's $9 billion federal funding cuts package. The bill, which rescinds approximately $8 billion from foreign aid and around $1 billion from public broadcasting including NPR and PBS, now awaits the President's signature.
The House vote, decided 216 to 213, saw two Republicans opposing the measure. The bill was combined with a procedural vote to expedite passage, meeting the Friday deadline to prevent automatic spending of the funds.
The package, part of the Trump Administration's efforts to dismantle the US Agency for International Development, now moves to the Senate, where it has already received approval in a 51-48 vote. However, some Republican senators, including Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, opposed it due to concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the specific impacts of the cuts on health and aid programs.
The legislative process was briefly delayed due to efforts to release files connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case. This separate Epstein-related measure did not block the final passage but temporarily impacted the schedule. Democratic Representative Jim McGovern has demanded to see the details of any deal the GOP has reached over an Epstein-related vote, but Republicans have declined to provide that information.
Republican leadership has been in intense talks with GOP holdouts demanding a vote on the Epstein-related measure, a dispute among GOP lawmakers that has placed a wedge between Trump and some of his House GOP supporters.
The funding cuts will primarily affect foreign aid and public broadcasting. Senate Republicans agreed to cancel billions in already approved funding after a marathon overnight vote session on amendments.
As the House rushes to pass the bill before the Friday deadline, the committee meeting to consider the package began on Thursday evening, and it must approve the rule governing floor debate before the full House can act.
Meanwhile, Democrats are planning to force amendment votes to put Republicans on the record over whether the Trump administration should release additional files from the Epstein case. The details of any potential deal regarding the Epstein-related vote are yet to be disclosed by GOP lawmakers.
This report includes contributions from CNN's Morgan Rimmer, Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, and Ted Barrett.
- This funding cuts package, which involves $9 billion in cuts primarily from foreign aid and public broadcasting, is a part of the Trump Administration's policy-and-legislation aimed at dismantling the US Agency for International Development.
- The bill, originally combined with a procedural vote to expedite passage, has faced delays due to efforts to release files connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case in war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice sectors, but it has still moved ahead for a vote in the Senate.
- Despite the Senate's approval, some Republican senators like Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins have voiced concern about the lack of transparency regarding the specific impacts of these cuts on health and aid programs, causing a rift within the GOP.
