Trump Proposes $9.4 Billion DOGE Investment in Congress to Support NPR and PBS Funding

The legislative clock is now ticking as Congress prepares to take up President Donald Trump’s ambitious $9.4 billion federal spending cut proposal. The request, delivered formally by the White House this week, targets what the administration describes as wasteful foreign aid expenditures and funding for public broadcasting, setting the stage for a heated debate in both chambers over the next 45 days.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., confirmed receipt of the rescissions package on Tuesday, pledging that the House will move swiftly. “This rescissions package reflects many of DOGE’s findings and is one of the many legislative tools Republicans are using to restore fiscal sanity,” Johnson stated, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has emerged as an influential player in federal spending oversight efforts. Congressional Republicans are now tasked with codifying these recommendations before the deadline expires.

The proposed cuts would pull funding from NPR, PBS, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—entities frequently targeted by fiscal conservatives. If enacted, the package would mark the first clear legislative effort to translate President Trump’s campaign promises and DOGE’s cost-cutting agenda into tangible budget reductions. The rescissions package, permitted under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, provides a way for the executive branch to recommend clawbacks of congressionally approved funds, but ultimate authority rests with the House and Senate.

Republican leaders in both chambers have signaled their intent to act quickly, but they face a tight timeline—not only due to the rescissions process but also competing legislative priorities. Lawmakers are simultaneously racing to complete work on a sweeping tax and immigration bill, another high-profile item on the president’s agenda, with hopes of completing it before July Fourth. That legislation is being advanced through budget reconciliation, a process that, like rescissions, allows the Senate majority to bypass the usual 60-vote threshold and limit debate time.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought indicated this may be only the first in a series of spending cut proposals. “I want to see if it passes,” Vought remarked, hinting at more packages to come if Congress embraces this initial round. Policy analysts have described the current measure as a test of the legislative branch’s ability to deliver on Trump’s government efficiency mandate, leveraging the filibuster-proof mechanics of the rescissions process.

However, despite the widespread Republican support for cutting what many see as superfluous government spending, there are signs some members could balk. With the House majority down to just three seats, resistance from moderates wary of criticism over defunding popular programming could complicate the path forward. “There will be some that don’t want an ad written that they’re defunding Big Bird,” one House Republican acknowledged, pointing to the optics of slashing funds for PBS and NPR.

Conservative factions within the House, including the powerful House Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee, are mobilizing to ensure the bill’s passage and pressing leadership for immediate action. Their statements underscore a sense of urgency among fiscal hawks who view the rescissions package as a crucial step toward reining in what they see as out-of-control federal spending. As deliberations begin, all eyes will be on whether Congress can unite behind Trump’s effort to reshape federal priorities and set a new course for government funding.