US Congress approves $9 bn in Trump cuts to foreign aid, public media
The cuts achieve only a tiny fraction of the $1 trillion in annual savings that tech billionaire and estranged Trump donor Elon Musk vowed to find before his acrimonious exit in May from a role spearheading federal cost-cutting.
But Republicans -- who recently passed a domestic policy bill expected to add more than $3 trillion to US debt -- 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 House.
"REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED... BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!" he wrote on Truth Social.
Most of the cuts target programs for countries hit by disease, war and natural disasters. But the move also scraps $1.1 billion that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years.
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.
The bill originally included $400 million in cuts to a global AIDS program that is credited with saving 26 million lives, but that funding was saved by a rebellion by moderate Republicans.
- 'Dark day' -
The vote was a win for Trump and fiscal hawks seeking to support the mission of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), launched by Musk as Trump was swept to power, for radical savings.
Congress had already approved the cash that was clawed back, and Democrats framed the bill as a betrayal of the bipartisan government funding process.
They fear Trump's victory clears the way for more "rescissions packages" canceling agreed spending.
"Instead of protecting the health, safety and well-being of the American people, House Republicans have once again rubber stamped Donald Trump's extreme, reckless rescissions legislation," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement with fellow top Democrats.
Republicans need some Democratic votes to keep the government funded past September, and the minority party had threatened to abandon any plans for cooperation if the DOGE cuts went ahead.
Jeffries and fellow Democrats seemed to suggest as much on Friday.
"Tonight's vote... makes it clear that House Republicans are determined to march this country toward a painful government shutdown later this year," they said in the statement.
Although they are in the minority, Democrats have leverage in funding fights because a budget deal would need at least 60 votes in the 100-member Senate and Republicans only have 53 seats.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "a dark day for any American who relies on public broadcasting during floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters."
White House budget chief Russell Vought told an event hosted Thursday by the Christian Science Monitor that the administration was likely to send another rescissions package to Congress.
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11 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Donald Trump threatens to sue as Wall Street Journal publishes contents of note he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein
A furious Donald Trump has threatened to sue a US newspaper after it published details of a strange note he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein to mark his then-friend's 50th birthday. Today The Wall Street Journal reported on a gift Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein's chief co-conspirator in his underage sex trafficking crimes, who is now serving a 20-year jail sentence – prepared for him in 2003. Maxwell collected messages from Epstein's associates and compiled them into a leather-bound birthday album, according to documents reviewed by the newspaper. One of the messages was in Mr Trump's name. Epstein was not arrested until 2006. That case led to his infamous 'sweetheart' plea deal, negotiated with federal prosecutors, which saw him admit to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution and serve a 13-month sentence, but escape prosecution for more serious trafficking crimes. He was then rearrested in July of 2019 on sex trafficking charges, accused of exploiting girls as young as 14. He died in prison a month later. It was ruled a suicide. The note to Epstein bearing Mr Trump's signature has several lines of typed text – describing an imagined conversation between the pair – inside the outline of a naked woman, drawn with a marker pen. According to The Journal, the name 'Donald' is signed just below the woman's waist, in a mimicry of pubic hair. 'This is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story,' Mr Trump told the paper before it published the story. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words.' And he threatened to sue. 'I'm going to sue The Wall Street Journal, just like I sued everyone else,' said the President. 'Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bulls***,' Vice President J.D. Vance tweeted after publication. 'The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? 'Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?' The Justice Department and FBI, which have been responsible for investigating the Epstein case, declined to comment. After the story was published, Mr Trump offered the following post on Truth Social. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney-General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,' he said. 'This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!' The above would only involve evidence presented to a grand jury in an attempt to establish criminal charges, meaning testimony related to Epstein himself or Maxwell - a mere fraction of the so-called Epstein files. No third parties, none of the men for whom Epstein allegedly procured underage girls, have ever faced charges. Returning to the note. The text of it conveys a mocked-up conversation between Epstein and Mr Trump. Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything. Donald: Yes, there is, but I won't tell you what it is. Jeffrey: Nor will I, since I also know what it is. Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey. Jeffrey: Yes, we do, come to think of it. Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? Jeffrey: As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you. Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret. We already knew that Mr Trump and Epstein were friends for over a decade. They were photographed together on multiple occasions, often alongside Melania Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell, and flight logs show Mr Trump travelled on Epstein's private plane, the 'Lolita Express', seven times in the 1990s. Those flights were all between Florida and New York, where both men owned property. None went to Epstein's notorious private island, located in the US Virgin Islands. 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,' Mr Trump told New York Magazine in 2002. 'He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. 'No doubt about it: Jeffrey enjoys his social life.' There was a subsequent falling out. According to Mr Trump, his friendship with Epstein ended before his aforementioned guilty plea in 2008. When Epstein was arrested the second time, Mr Trump said he hadn't spoken to him for 15 years. There has never been any evidence to suggest Mr Trump was involved in Epstein's sex trafficking crimes. This all comes less than two weeks after the Justice Department released a memo, on July 7, which essentially said it was closing the Epstein case. The department said a 'systematic review' had 'revealed no incriminating 'client list''. 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Mr Trump, for his part, has expressed confusion at Americans' continuing interest in the Epstein case, and has gone so far as to say he no longer wants the support of those within MAGA who keep talking about it. He has taken to calling the unreleased Epstein files a 'hoax', and now claims they were written by his political enemies, such as former president Barack Obama, former FBI director James Comey and his predecessor Joe Biden. 'Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,' he wrote on social media yesterday, referring to the Democrats. 'And my PAST supporters have bought into this 'bulls***,' hook, line, and sinker. They haven't learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for eight long years. 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!' The White House reportedly tried as hard as possible to squash today's Journal story before it was published.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Trump administration seeks to release some of Epstein probe material
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
G20 nations agree central bank independence 'crucial'
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