President Donald Trump just notched a conservative triumph that’s been decades in the making. On Thursday, July 17, 2025, the House of Representatives passed a $9 billion rescissions package, slashing funds for foreign aid and public broadcasting. This victory, long elusive for Republicans, signals a shift toward fiscal restraint.
The House vote, a tight 216-213, delivered a White House-backed plan to cut $9 billion from previously approved spending. The package zeroes out taxpayer funding for NPR, PBS, and USAID grants. It now awaits Trump’s signature to become law.
Congress hasn’t just trimmed fat; it’s frozen spending at 2024 levels through 2025. This rare year-over-year freeze, a first for the body, pairs with extra funds for Trump’s border security priorities. The cuts, though modest, hint at more to come.
Defunding Public Broadcasting Sparks Debate
Trump didn’t mince words, crowing on Truth Social about ending “atrocious” NPR and PBS funding. “HOUSE APPROVES NINE BILLION DOLLAR CUTS PACKAGE, INCLUDING ATROCIOUS NPR AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WERE WASTED,” he posted. But “billions” is a stretch—hyperbole that muddies the real $9 billion cut.
The bill’s passage wasn’t without hiccups. Two Republicans, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, broke ranks on the procedural vote. Their dissent highlights cracks in party unity, even on a Trump-endorsed deal.
Fitzpatrick, who recently popped the question to a Fox News reporter, also opposed another Trump-backed bill. His maverick streak raises eyebrows among conservatives itching for lockstep loyalty. Turner, a former House Intelligence Committee chairman, joined him in bucking the procedural vote.
Foreign Aid Cuts Raise Stakes
The rescissions package axes USAID grants, a move cheered by those wary of overseas spending. Critics argue these funds fuel bloated bureaucracies, not American interests. Supporters of the cuts see this as a step toward prioritizing domestic needs.
Yet, the $9 billion reduction is a drop in the federal bucket. While significant for conservatives, it’s a modest dent in the grand scheme of government spending. Future rescissions packages are likely brewing to keep the momentum.
The spending freeze, coupled with border security boosts, shows Trump’s influence flexing early. Congress’s decision to hold 2024 spending levels through 2025 is a rare win for fiscal hawks. It’s a signal that the days of unchecked budgets might be waning.
Bipartisanship Takes a Back Seat
Russ Vought, Office of Management and Budget Director, threw shade at bipartisan deal-making. “There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said, ‘I’m voting for a bipartisan appropriations process,’” he told reporters. His quip underscores a growing conservative push to ditch compromise for results.
Vought’s comment, delivered at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast, reflects the administration’s hardline stance. Bipartisanship, once a Capitol Hill virtue, now feels like a relic to many on the right. The tight vote margin proves it’s a strategy with risks.
The House’s razor-thin approval shows how divisive fiscal reform remains. Fitzpatrick and Turner’s procedural rebellion didn’t tank the bill, but it exposed GOP fault lines. Unity will be tested as the September 30, 2025, funding deadline looms.
What’s Next for Government Funding
Congress now faces a ticking clock to pass new funding bills or extend current ones by September 30. A continuing resolution might buy time, but it’s a Band-Aid, not a fix. Lawmakers know the pressure’s on to avoid a shutdown.
Trump’s win, while celebrated by his base, isn’t without critics. Some argue defunding NPR and PBS guts cultural institutions, while others see it as long-overdue accountability. The debate over “waste” versus “value” will rage on.
For now, Trump’s secured a victory 40 years in the making, as he put it. Republicans, emboldened by this success, are already eyeing bigger cuts. The road to fiscal discipline, though, promises more battles than parades.
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Author: Benjamin Clark
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