House Approves Trump’s $9B DOGE Cuts Package in Tight Vote

Tone & Political Bias: Moderately Right-Leaning

Why: The article highlights a legislative win for Trump and GOP cost-cutting priorities, with emphasis on government downsizing, limited criticism, and brief treatment of Democratic concerns.

What Happened

The U.S. House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s $9 billion spending cuts package early Friday, advancing his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) agenda. The measure targets foreign aid and public broadcasting and passed with a narrow vote of 216–213.

Key Numbers

$9 billion in total cuts
$8 billion from foreign aid, especially USAID programs
$1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Final vote: 216–213
GOP Reps. Mike Turner and Brian Fitzpatrick voted against the bill

How It Passed

The bill was pushed through using a rarely invoked budget law that bypasses the Senate filibuster. Trump is the first president in over three decades to successfully use this process.

The final version was $400 million smaller than an earlier proposal, after the Senate removed a provision that would have cut PEPFAR, a global AIDS relief program.

Despite internal GOP friction and last-minute negotiations, the House Rules Committee advanced the package late Thursday along with a symbolic resolution calling for more transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The resolution is non-binding and not scheduled for a vote.

Foreign Aid Cuts

The largest portion of the rescissions package targets international aid:

The $8 billion rollback mostly affects funding that had already been approved by Congress for USAID.
These cuts are part of broader White House plans to shrink or dismantle elements of the foreign aid apparatus.

Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) supported the measure despite earlier opposition to the revised package, calling the remaining cuts “low-hanging fruit.”

Public Broadcasting Hit

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, will lose $1.1 billion. Conservatives have long criticized public broadcasting for perceived bias and questioned its need for federal support.

Epstein Files Tension

A group of House Republicans tied their support of the DOGE package to a push for greater transparency around Jeffrey Epstein’s case. This created friction between Trump loyalists and House leadership.

Speaker Mike Johnson did not commit to holding a vote on the Epstein resolution.
He emphasized alignment with the White House and a focus on government efficiency.

GOP Messaging

Republican leaders framed the passage as a step toward a leaner federal government:

“Government is too large. It does too many things, and it does almost nothing well,” said Speaker Mike Johnson.Trump celebrated the passage on Truth Social, calling it “BIG.”

Democratic Pushback

Democratic leaders voiced concerns that the maneuver undermines bipartisan cooperation on future budget negotiations.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that the DOGE package may jeopardize efforts to fund the government beyond the September 30 deadline.
He criticized Senate Republicans for yielding to Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought, who has argued for a less bipartisan appropriations process.

“Every time they have tried to resist Trump and Vought, they have folded,” Schumer said.

Looking Ahead

With the bill now on its way to Trump’s desk, attention turns to upcoming government funding deadlines. While GOP appropriators claim the DOGE cuts are separate from future negotiations, Democrats are wary.

“It’s up to them,” said House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, suggesting any fallout would be a result of Democratic choices.