Trump Proposes $9.4 Billion DOGE Funding Cut to Congress, Aims to Defund NPR and PBS
White House submits rescissions package to Congress, targeting funding cuts for PBS, NPR, and USAID.
The formal debate over President Donald Trump's proposed federal spending cuts is set to begin in Congress, as legislators prepare to scrutinize a sweeping $9.4 billion rescissions package. The White House submission, received Tuesday by House leadership, specifically targets a range of federal allocations including foreign aid administered through the State Department and USAID, as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which provides key funding to NPR and PBS.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., emphasized the urgency of the package. In his statement, he declared that the House would "act quickly on this request," describing the proposal as an essential step in restoring "fiscal sanity." Johnson credited the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for its role in identifying areas of potential savings and expressed confidence that cooperation between Congress and the White House would expedite passage. According to procedural rules established under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, lawmakers now have 45 days to address and act on the president’s recommendations.
The rescissions package serves as a legislative tool allowing the executive branch to propose targeted rollbacks of previously approved appropriations, but only with congressional approval. While this gives the president a voice in federal budget expenditures, it stops short of granting unilateral authority over government funds. The current request marks the first time the Trump administration has invoked this rarely used process, as lawmakers brace for what could become a series of such measures to align government spending with new fiscal priorities.
Congressional Republicans, sensing an opportunity to advance longtime fiscal goals, are pledging swift action once the package formally arrives. Alongside the rescissions, GOP leaders are also pressing to enact Trump’s tax and immigration agenda by the July Fourth recess, using another expedited legislative mechanism known as budget reconciliation. Both processes lower the Senate’s approval threshold to a simple majority, allowing the party in power to bypass a filibuster and minimize procedural delays—potentially a crucial advantage given the narrow Republican majority in the House.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought signaled the administration’s willingness to propose additional packages should Congress give its approval to this initial round of cuts. “I want to see if it passes. I think we’re very interested to make sure it passes both the House and the Senate, but we’re very open to sending multiple bills,” Vought noted following his recent meeting with Speaker Johnson.
Observers say the effort is being closely watched as a test case to see whether Congress can effectively deliver on the White House's mandate. Paul Winfree, founder of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, described the proposal as “a test as to whether Congress has the ability to deliver on [Trump's] mandate by canceling wasteful spending through a filibuster-proof process.” Failure to act, he warned, might prompt the president to pursue alternative measures to limit federal spending.
The proposed cuts appear to enjoy strong support among fiscal conservatives, particularly those in influential House groups like the Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee, both of which have publicly urged rapid passage. However, some members have voiced concern that eliminating high-profile public media funding could provoke backlash, especially given the razor-thin Republican margin in the House. “There are some moderates in our conference,” remarked one House Republican, alluding to apprehension about negative campaign ads targeting lawmakers perceived as “defunding Big Bird.”
As the 45-day countdown begins, the stage is set for an intense period of legislative maneuvering. Conservative activists within the chamber are exerting pressure to bring the measure to a vote as early as this week, underscoring the high stakes involved for both supporters and opponents of Trump’s budgetary vision. With deadlines looming and bipartisan divisions evident, the fate of the cuts—and the political calculations surrounding them—remain uncertain.
