Charles Esther
President Donald Trump is seeking Congressional approval for a $9.4 billion rescissions package aimed at cutting federal spending associated with the DOGE initiative.
The package includes significant reductions in funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid.
According to a spokesperson from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), $1.1 billion will be cut from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports outlets like PBS and NPR.
Additionally, $8.3 billion in spending cuts target the US Agency for International Development (USAID), responsible for foreign aid programs.
Trump’s push to reduce CPB funding aligns with an executive order he issued earlier this month, reflecting his long-standing criticism of public broadcasting support.
While the $9.4 billion cut is less than what some conservatives hoped for, House Speaker Mike Johnson has voiced strong support for the rescissions.
Johnson praised the work of Elon Musk and the DOGE team, commending their efforts to identify government waste, fraud, and abuse.
In a post on X, Johnson stated that the House is ready to act on DOGE’s recommendations to reduce government spending in line with Trump’s goals.
The White House initially pushed for Congress to approve these cuts weeks ago.
However, Republican lawmakers were busy drafting and passing Trump’s broader tax and immigration package, dubbed the “one big beautiful bill.”
That bill narrowly passed the House but faces an uncertain fate in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who has been heavily involved with the DOGE office, is preparing to step back from the initiative.
In a recent interview with CBS, Musk expressed disappointment with the GOP spending bill, which he said increases the budget deficit instead of reducing it.
Musk commented that a vote on the bill could be “big” or “beautiful,” but he doubted it could be both.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Musk described the challenges of reforming Washington as an “uphill battle.”
He also mentioned that DOGE has become a scapegoat for various problems, often unfairly blamed for issues beyond its control.
Musk’s remarks underscore the political tensions surrounding the DOGE initiative and the broader debate on government spending cuts.
The rescissions package is expected to proceed to Congress soon, providing Republicans an opportunity to officially enact spending cuts championed by the Trump administration and supported by the DOGE team.
