House Republicans secured a razor-thin victory Thursday on a major spending cuts package, delivering a legislative win for President Donald Trump despite significant resistance from within their own party. The $9.4 billion rescissions bill passed by just two votes.
According to the Washington Examiner, the House approved the Rescissions Act of 2025 by a vote of 214-212, with four Republicans breaking ranks to oppose the legislation. The package now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future.
The bill targets several federal programs for substantial cuts, including $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and NPR. It also proposes $8.3 billion in reductions to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the African Development Foundation, and portions of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
GOP leadership faced strong resistance from centrist members uncomfortable with cuts to public broadcasting. The narrow margin highlights the delicate balance Speaker Mike Johnson must maintain within his caucus.
Representatives from both rural and urban districts voiced concerns about how funding cuts would impact local public broadcasting affiliates. Nevada Republican Mark Amodei argued that while some lawmakers might want to punish national stations for perceived editorial stances against Trump, the cuts would disproportionately harm local stations.
"It's easier for the nationals to raise money if they got to make up for some deficit, for some funding, than it is these guys," Amodei said, describing local public media outlets as "important pieces of infrastructure in their communities." This sentiment was echoed by other Republican lawmakers who ultimately voted against the package.
The rescissions package now faces additional hurdles in the Senate, where Republican leadership has indicated they won't take up the bill until July at the earliest.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that his chamber will prioritize passing a budget reconciliation bill before considering the rescissions package. "We'll do reconciliation first," Thune told reporters Thursday, adding that the rescissions vote would "probably would be a July time frame."
This delay creates potential timing challenges since the White House initiated a 45-day clock when it sent the rescissions package to Congress on June 3. This gives lawmakers until August 5 to complete the process, assuming only weekdays count toward the deadline.
The proposed $1.1 billion cut to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has emerged as the most contentious element of the package, sparking debate about government funding for media.
Republican Representatives Don Bacon of Nebraska and Nicole Malliotakis of New York joined those expressing reservations about the broadcasting cuts. Both cited strong relationships with local affiliates and feedback from Republican constituents who oppose funding reductions for public media.
Malliotakis raised additional concerns about the package's lack of specificity, saying she was worried about "a blanket rescissions package that isn't clear about what programs are going to be cut within those accounts." She warned about potential fights to restore funding after cuts are implemented.
The rescissions package represents a significant test for President Trump's fiscal agenda as Republicans work to implement spending cuts promised during the campaign.
The White House submitted the package on June 3, triggering a legislative process that requires only a simple majority of 50 votes to pass in the Senate. This lower threshold could prove crucial given the narrow Republican majority in the upper chamber.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders are simultaneously working on a budget reconciliation package they hope to have on Trump's desk by July 4, although some Senate Republicans have expressed doubts about meeting this ambitious timeline. The dual-track approach reflects the administration's determination to demonstrate fiscal restraint early in Trump's term.
