House GOP clears measure to claw back billions from foreign assistance and public media programs

Updated at 5:45 p.m. ET June 12 

The House on Thursday passed, in a 214-212 mostly party-line vote, a measure that would rescind $9.4 billion in government funding that Congress previously approved. This is the Trump administration’s first attempt to codify some Department of Government Efficiency cuts that especially target foreign assistance programs. 

The rescission measure now heads to the Senate where it only needs a simple majority to pass instead of the usual 60-vote threshold. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., however, told reporters Thursday morning that his chamber could tweak the package and likely wouldn’t take it up until July after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) is finished. The Senate is currently considering the House-passed reconciliation bill that would reduce taxes and increase spending on immigration enforcement. 

The largest funding cuts in the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4) target $2.5 billion in development assistance (out of $3.9 billion appropriated for fiscal 2025 for such purpose) and $1.65 billion for the Economic Support Fund that promotes economic and political stability in other countries. It claws back a little more than $1 billion for global health programs and operating expenses at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the Trump administration is attempting to fold into the State Department. 

“Those Democrats saying that these recissions will harm people in other countries are missing the point. It’s about people in our country being put first,” said Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., during floor debate. “It is about putting Americans first — what a concept.” 

Additionally, the bill slashes nearly $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which would effectively eliminate federal funding for NPR and PBS. Trump in May issued an executive order to cease funding to the news outlets, arguing that they don’t report the news in a fair, accurate or unbiased manner. 

The center-right policy institute American Action Forum reported that the recissions bill would amount to a 0.5% decrease in this year’s projected budget deficit of $1.9 trillion. 

Democrats accused Republicans of reneging on previously agreed upon spending levels and using the recessions measure to offset the costs of their reconciliation package. 

“Congress approved this funding just two months ago and Donald Trump signed it into law and now Republicans want to cover up the massive hole they are blowing in the deficit with tax giveaways for billionaires,” said Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla. 

Four Republican members voted against the legislation Thursday: Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, Mike Turner of Ohio. 

Amodei said his objections were over the cuts to CPB and predicted that changes would be made to the bill. 

"[B]efore we trigger major consequences for our local public broadcasting stations throughout the West and other rural areas, we need more discussion — rather than railroading folks over the East Coast’s editorials and indiscretions," he said in.a statement. “I agree we must make meaningful cuts to shrink our federal deficit; however, I would be doing a disservice to the thousands of rural constituents in my district if I did not fight to keep their access to the rest of the world and news on the air."  

During Trump’s first term, he requested an approximately $15 billion rescission package that passed the House but failed in the Senate.

This story has been updated with information about Republicans who voted against the measure.