The U.S. Senate passed a $9 billion federal spending cuts package early Thursday morning, delivering another major legislative win for President Donald Trump.
The measure, approved by a narrow 51–48 vote just after 2 a.m., targets public broadcasting and foreign aid, including deep reductions for NPR, PBS, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to The Financial Times, the bill would eliminate taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS once signed into law. These institutions, long viewed by conservatives as politically biased and resistant to fiscal oversight, have frequently come under scrutiny for their taxpayer-funded operations despite partisan coverage and editorial direction.
The legislation also enacts broad cuts to foreign aid, trimming approximately $8 billion from programs involving global health, migration and refugee assistance, and international disaster relief. Funding for USAID grant programs will cease pending expected final approval by the House of Representatives later this week. The bill must be passed by Friday’s deadline to take effect.
More CorpMedia sob stories from fired federal workers.
Sorry, we voted to drain the swamp, so stand clear of the swamp for a while! If your services are truly needed, your position will come back. pic.twitter.com/ci11kjYD5S
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 18, 2025
Republican leadership framed the vote as a reaffirmation of President Trump’s commitment to reducing federal waste and realigning government priorities. “It’s a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) ahead of the vote.
Thune shepherded the bill through the Senate despite opposition from two senior Republicans on the Appropriations Committee. Still, the outcome marked a key moment for the GOP-led Congress in demonstrating its willingness to impose spending discipline — particularly on programs viewed as ideologically misaligned or financially inefficient.
The cuts come amid Trump’s broader push to “drain the swamp” and reduce the scope of taxpayer-supported entities operating with minimal accountability.
The legislation limits the reach of quasi-governmental agencies while signaling a shift in Washington’s approach to international development and domestic media funding.
