House Republicans passed a sweeping $9 billion rescissions package late Thursday that delivers a knockout punch to globalist pet projects and leftist propaganda machines like NPR and PBS.
The vote was 216–213, with only two Republicans—Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Turner—breaking ranks to side with Democrats in opposition.
“President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency. Today, we’re once again delivering on that promise,” House Speaker Johnson wrote on X.
“This package eliminates $9 billion in unnecessary and wasteful spending at the State Department, USAID, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The American people will no longer be forced to fund politically biased media and more than $8 billion in outrageous expenses overseas.
“While Republicans continue to deliver real accountability, restore fiscal discipline, and protect taxpayer dollars, Democrats continue to defend waste, fraud, and abuse. This isn’t the end, it’s the beginning. We look forward to passing additional rescissions bills throughout the 119th Congress.”
President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency. Today, we’re once again delivering on that promise.
This package eliminates $9 billion in unnecessary and wasteful spending at the State Department, USAID, and the Corporation for… pic.twitter.com/kEDEwKfQTd
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 18, 2025
“Tonight, the House passed a rescissions bill to cut funding from USAID, NPR, and PBS. Don’t let Congress take any victory laps though. This needs to be the first of many. Keep pressing for deeper cuts to waste, fraud, and abuse across the board.”
Tonight, the House passed a rescissions bill to cut funding from USAID, NPR, and PBS.
Don’t let Congress take any victory laps though. This needs to be the first of many.
Keep pressing for deeper cuts to waste, fraud, and abuse across the board. pic.twitter.com/zqJvMOiaqD
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 18, 2025
It can be recalled that the Republican-controlled Senate narrowly approved a sweeping Trump-endorsed rescission bill during a late-night vote Wednesday.
The bill slashes nearly $9 billion in previously approved federal spending—including full defunding of PBS and NPR and deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid—by a razor-thin 51–48 vote.
The measure advanced through a late-night vote-a-rama.
Only two GOP senators—Susan Collins (R‑ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R‑AK)—sided with Democrats to try to block Trump’s efforts to restore fiscal sanity.
Democrat Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) was notably absent from the vote — her staff citing a hospital stay “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Politico.
This is the first time in over 25 years a president has used rescission authority to claw back previously approved federal funds—a bolt from Washington’s rusted machinery.
Politico reported:
The House’s 216-213 vote to clear the Senate-amended package comes less than 24 hours after the Senate voted to tweak the administration’s original proposal that would have cut an additional $400 million from the global AIDS fighting program, PEPFAR. Senate Republicans also added language vowing that certain food assistance programs would be protected, and staved off impacts to other food aid, maternal health, malaria and tuberculosis-related initiatives.
“This bill tonight is part of continuing that trend of getting spending under control. Does it answer all the problems? No. Nine billion dollars is a good start,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
Two House Republicans, Reps. Mike Turner of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted against the measure for the second time, having also opposed it when the House first voted on the package last month. But Republican Reps. Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Mark Amodei of Nevada flipped to “yes,” heartened by the Senate deal to strike the proposed cut to AIDS-prevention efforts.
The package was advanced in the House under a fast-track process: Instead of voting directly on the bill, lawmakers triggered passage by voting for a procedural measure that’s typically used to set up debate. It meant lawmakers would not have to take an additional vote.
It also helped House Republicans move quickly to pass the bill, which needed to be shipped to Trump’s desk by Friday night or the rescissions request would expire and the administration would be forced to spend the money as Congress originally intended.
This rescissions package is the first to succeed in more than 30 years, and it’s already causing trouble for the annual appropriations process just 10 weeks before the Sept. 30 deadline to reach a funding deal or launch a government shutdown.
Read the full article here