House Passes $9 Billion Cut to Foreign Aid and Public Broadcasting

Rescissions Package Approved

• 🏛️ The House of Representatives has approved a package to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds.
• 🎯 These funds were designated for foreign aid and public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS.
• ⏰ The measure passed just after midnight, narrowly avoiding a deadline after which the money would have been spent as originally intended.

Rationale for Cuts

• 💰 Lawmakers described the funding as "wasteful spending" from the previous administration, particularly targeting the State Department and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
• ✅ The bill is now on its way to the president's desk for signature into law.

Political Support and Opposition

• 🤝 House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence in having members aligned with the president to pass the bill.
• ⚠️ A measure from the George W. Bush era, aimed at fighting AIDS globally, was removed from the bill to assuage concerns from some members of the House Freedom Caucus.
• 🚫 Despite some domestic spending advocates' preferences, only two defectors (Reps. Mike Turner and Brian Fitzpatrick) broke party lines on this vote.

Presidential Endorsement

• 📣 President Trump celebrated the passage of the $9 billion in cuts on Truth Social.
• 🗣️ He characterized funding for NPR and public broadcasting as "atrocious", affirming the Republican decision to move forward with the rescissions.