US Congress on Friday approved Trump’s plan to cancel $9 billion funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, aimed at federal budget cut.
The Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, inniated by Trump and headed by billionaire Elon musk to enhance government effeciency facilitated mass layoffs and dismantled agencies deemed wasteful.
Announcing the approval after voting by members, Republicans said the vote honored Trump’s election campaign pledge to rein in runaway spending.
“President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement just after the vote.
“Today, we’re once again delivering on that promise.”
Both chambers of Congress are Republican-controlled, meaning a mostly party-line House of Representatives vote of 216 to 213, moments after midnight, was sufficient to approve the Senate-passed measure.
The bill now heads to the White House to be signed by Trump, who praised his backers in the Houses.
Conservatives say the funding, which goes mostly to more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations, as well as to public broadcasters NPR and PBS, is unnecessary and has funded biased coverage.
