Federal Spending Cuts Passed:

 Federal Spending Cuts Passed:

The U.S. House of Representatives barely passed President Trump’s $9.4 billion package of federal spending cuts on June 12, 2025, which slashed foreign aid and public broadcasting. The move has ignited widespread discussion about how it will affect certain services and communities.

Major Elements of the Spending Cuts

Amount Cut: $9.4 billion

Affected Areas:

Foreign aid

Public radio and television (PBS and NPR)

Political Dynamics

The vote was razor tight, a reflection of the divisions within the Republican Party.

Four Republicans joined the Democrats on the bill, and two originally voted against it before changing their votes.

Rep. Mike Johnson negotiated with centrist Republicans to get the votes he needed.

Concerns Raised

A handful of GOP senators, including Susan Collins, voiced concern about the cuts, especially for programs such as PBS and global AIDS funding.

An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) suggested the cuts would fall more heavily on low-income families, while the well-off would gain more in tax cuts buried in other related legislation.

Next Steps

That piece of legislation goes to the Senate, which uses the simple majority, not 60 as it does to close off debate, to pass the bill.

Still, public media organizations are trying to persuade senators to reject the proposed cuts and arguing that federal funding is essential to their operations.