In The News 18 July 2025

House passes request to pull back funding

The U.S. House of Representatives approved President Donald Trump’s request to pull back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday by a vote of 216-213. It now goes to Trump for his signature.

The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and the White House suggested it won’t be the last. 

The measure, which rescinds previously appropriated federal spending on some foreign aid projects and public broadcasting programs, was back in the House after some Senate changes this week. 

Originally clawing back a total of $9.4 billion, the package now revokes roughly $7.9 billion in certain foreign aid programs and $1.1 billion meant to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR, PBS and some radio stations. 

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans removed a provision canceling $400 million in PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) funds in an attempt to placate three GOP holdouts whose opposition forced Vice President J.D. Vance to break the tie in a procedural vote Tuesday.

Despite the PEPFAR change, only Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., folded when the chamber finally voted 51-48 on the bill’s passage around 2 a.m. Due to concerns over rural radio station funding and unclear bill language, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined all Democrats in opposing the bill.

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