White House sending $9.4B DOGE cuts package to Congress next week

Fox News

04-06-2025

The White House is expected to send a federal spending cut proposal to Congress next week, two Republican sources told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
It is the latest move by Republican officials to make good on promises to slash government spending, a project spearheaded by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The proposal is called a "rescissions package," a vehicle for the president to block funds that were already allocated by Congress in its yearly appropriations process. Once transmitted to Capitol Hill, lawmakers have 45 days to take it up before it's voided.
An Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official told Fox News Digital the package is expected to total roughly $9.4 billion.
It will primarily target federal funding to NPR, PBS and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the official said, confirming details first reported by Axios.
A third GOP source told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders had asked the White House to wait until their chamber finished their consideration of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" to send its spending-cut package.
The House passed the massive piece of tax-and-spending legislation last week after an all-night session of debate and procedural votes, sending it to the Senate for further consideration.
That bill, which is being advanced under the budget reconciliation process, primarily deals with mandatory government funding that Congress must change by amending the law itself.
A rescissions package targets discretionary government funding, which Congress sets the levels of every year in its annual appropriations process.
The White House referred Fox News Digital to OMB when reached for comment.
The package is expected to get to Congress just as Musk is beginning to step away from his role leading DOGE – but is apparently still keeping a close eye on governmental affairs.
The billionaire tech founder criticized Republicans' "big, beautiful bill" on "CBS News Sunday Morning," saying in a preview clip that he was "disappointed" by it.
"I think a bill can be big, or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both," Musk said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., vowed the House would do more to codify DOGE cuts in a statement after Musk's message.
"The House is eager and ready to act on DOGE's findings so we can deliver even more cuts to big government that President Trump wants and the American people demand. We will do that in two ways," Johnson wrote on X.
"1. When the White House sends its rescissions package to the House, we will act quickly by passing legislation to codify the cuts. 2. The House will use the appropriations process to swiftly implement President Trump's 2026 budget. In the meantime, we have been working around the clock as we prepared for those processes. The House made sure to build on DOGE's success within the One Big Beautiful Bill."
Musk's commentary, meanwhile, divided House Republicans on Wednesday.
"This is why Mr. Musk has no place in Congress. He wants to codify discretionary cuts. He didn't find enough waste, fraud, and abuse to fund [the Small Business Administration], let alone reduce our debt," one House GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital. "This was a gimmick, he got used, he's now upset."
Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., who voted "present" on the legislation last week, told Fox News Digital that he believed Musk was right.
"I share Mr. Musk's concerns about the short-term adverse effect on the federal deficit of the limited spending reductions in the BBB. Debt markets remain concerned about US total debt and annual deficits," Harris said.
The House is expected to begin working on fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations next week, though the rescission package deals with FY 2025 funding.
Additionally, the 45-day deadline for that is not the only marker on the horizon – identical FY 2026 spending bills must pass the House and Senate by the end of the current fiscal year on September 30 to avert a partial government shutdown.