DOGE‑Led Savings Drive Spurs House to Approve $9.4 B Rescission Bill, Eyes Senate Showdown
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – In a narrow 214-212 vote, the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a $9.4 billion federal spending rescission package aimed at slashing foreign aid, public broadcasting funds, and codifying cuts initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting initiative championed by President Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk.
The seven-page bill, introduced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), targets programs long criticized by conservatives, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the African Development Foundation, and the Institute of Peace. It also claws back $400 million from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), though administration officials insist core services won’t be affected.
The vote followed tense last-minute negotiations, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) convincing two GOP holdouts, Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), to switch their votes and save the measure. Four Democrats and two Republicans missed the vote, allowing the bill to pass despite opposition from a handful of moderates, including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), who voiced concern over cuts to local public broadcasting.
President Trump hailed the vote on social media, calling the bill a “no-brainer” and blasting NPR and PBS as “highly biased.” He emphasized that the cuts targeted “Radical DEI,” the “Green New SCAM,” and decades of what he called unaddressed waste.
The bill, submitted under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, gives Congress 45 days to act. It now heads to the Senate, where Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri has introduced a companion bill.
Some Senate Republicans, including Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), have expressed reservations over the potential impact on rural public media and PEPFAR. Sullivan noted the essential role public radio plays in Alaska’s isolated communities, while Collins praised PEPFAR as an “extremely successful” global health initiative.
Despite concerns, Sen. Schmitt said support in the Senate is “generally strong” and promised to work individually with colleagues to address sticking points. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said a vote would likely occur in July after passage of the broader “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” President Trump’s sweeping legislative package, which includes a $40,000 expansion of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap.
Speaker Johnson praised DOGE’s “heroic and patriotic efforts,” noting the initiative has saved taxpayers over $180 billion to date. He promised further action to rein in federal spending: “Today’s passage marks a critical step toward a more responsible and transparent government.”
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