$9.4B Spending Cuts on DOGE in the Crosshairs of House Vote
House Approves Trump's Proposal to Reduce Aid for 'Woke' Foreign Recipients, Funding for NPR at Stake in Senate
Hop on board as Rep. Mike Haridopolos rides shotgun on 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the forthcoming House vote on solidifying DOGE spending cuts, while the Senate works tirelessly on President Donald Trump's "big, ballsy bill."
In a grandiose gesture, the House of Representatives greenlit President Donald Trump's $9.4 billion initiative to reclaim federal funds allocated for foreign aid, reports PBS and NPR.
The nail-biting, 214 to 212 vote was unapologetically partisan, with not a single Democrat toeing the line. Four die-hard Republicans defected: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Mike Turner, R-Ohio, Mark Amodei, R-Nev., and Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.
At the House floor's epicenter, on a Thursday afternoon, a high-stakes drama played out as the bill inched towards a failure, with six conservative lawmakers thumbs-down on the measure.
our website Digital caught wind of the behind-the-scenes action, witnessing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., huddling with moderates Republicans who either abstained or had yet to cast a vote.
With President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at the helm, House Republicans locked themselves away for a private powwow on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (The Washington Post via Getty Images)
In the heat of the moment, two firebrand holdouts, Reps. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., chose loyalty over principles, swinging the vote in favor of the bill and securing its precarious passage.
The GOP heavies saw this as an acid test to determine if their party could stomach cuts perceived as low-hanging fruit by constituents.
Tucked away in the legislation's nitty-gritty, there are spending reductions of $8.3 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and just under $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a federal radio-television system that keeps PBS and NPR ticking.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in a tense round of negotiations to secure GOP votes for the bill.
Republican leaders defended the cuts as them mainly targeting "woke" programs, such as $1 million for voter ID schemes in Haiti and $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street. Critics, on the other hand, argue the two networks use federal funds only to disguise an increasingly liberal bias and not uphold impartiality.
However, moderates felt pangs of concern over the legislation's influence on critical, life-saving disease prevention research in Africa.
Opposing factions emerged on the matter, with some advocating for entire elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting, claiming it could disproportionately harm local news outlets amid a dearth of information. The rescission package ultimately passed and now heads to the Senate, where it awaits further scrutiny.
President Donald Trump, the maestro behind this audio-visual spectacle, referred to the proposal as a "rescissions package." Such bills, where congressionally approved funds are rescinded, must be approved within 45 days in the House and Senate, or they are considered dead in the water. If enacted, this bill is expected to kickstart a series of similar spending cuts put forth by the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Fun Fact:
By mandating a "rescissions package," the White House is attempting to achieve a kind of "fiscal rehab" for the nation, aiming to claw back funds that have been earmarked but not yet spent.
Bonus Info:
Elon Musk had briefly served as a leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) before his sudden departure. The DOGE was established to streamline government operations and root out inefficiencies. Trump's proposal is considered an endorsement of the DOGE's recommendations for spending cuts.
Elizabeth Elkind, Fox Digital Reporter
You can follow Elizabeth Elkind on Twitter @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]
- The House vote on President Donald Trump's $9.4 billion initiative includes spending cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a federal radio-television system that keeps PBS and NPR ticking, as part of the legislation's nitty-gritty.
- In the ongoing debates about the proposed spending cuts, critics argue that federal funds used by PBS and NPR are used to disguise an increasingly liberal bias and not uphold impartiality, while moderates express concerns over the potential impact on critical, life-saving disease prevention research in Africa.
