The House of Representatives approved a controversial $9 billion spending cuts package just after midnight on Friday, marking a significant victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson's fiscal agenda.
According to Fox News, the bill passed with a vote of 216-213, with only two Republicans, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Turner, voting against it alongside the Democrats.
The legislation, known as a "rescissions package," will block $8 billion in funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development and allocate $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of fiscal year 2025, pending President Trump's signature.
The bill's consideration began with a House Rules Committee hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, setting the stage for an intense evening of debate between party leaders.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise championed the cuts as a crucial step toward fiscal responsibility, stating that while $9 billion might not solve all problems, it represents a meaningful start in controlling government spending.
The timing was particularly critical as Friday marked the deadline for passing the legislation, after which the White House would have been required to reinstate the originally planned funding allocations.
Democrats mounted significant resistance to the bill, attempting to leverage the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein case controversy during both committee hearings and floor debates.
Representative Jim McGovern led multiple calls for votes to release the Epstein "files," arguing that blocking such attempts would demonstrate disregard for victims' interests over political convenience.
The situation prompted Republicans to negotiate a compromise, resulting in a separate nonbinding measure addressing Epstein transparency while keeping the rescissions bill on track.
The rescissions package represents the first successful use of this particular fiscal tool in over two decades, with the last such package being signed into law in 1999.
The process allows the president to influence Congress's yearly appropriations by proposing blocks on certain congressionally obligated funds, with lawmakers having 45 days to advance the legislation through both chambers.
This package initially proposed $9.4 billion in cuts but was reduced after Senate concerns about cutting funding for HIV/AIDS prevention research in Africa.
The bill now moves to President Trump's desk, where it is expected to receive his signature on Friday, cementing a victory for fiscal conservatives in Congress.
Speaker Johnson's leadership faces continued challenges as he balances competing interests within his party while maintaining focus on fiscal responsibility and government spending reduction.
The implementation of these cuts will significantly impact international aid programs and public broadcasting funding, marking a substantial shift in federal spending priorities for the remainder of fiscal year 2025.
