US senators endorse $9B of Elon Musk\’s federal cuts
Trump Approves Bill Cutting Foreign Aid, Backing Musk’s DOGE
Senate Passes $9 Billion Rescission Package
The Republican‑led Senate voted 51‑48 in favor of a sweeping measure that would remove more than $9 billion from foreign aid and public broadcasting, meeting a test of the tech billionaire’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Key Affected Programs
- USAID – Roughly $8 billion, a primary DOGE target.
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting – About $1 billion cut from NPR and PBS.
- Health Funding – A House proposal to defund $400 million, including PEPFAR, was dropped after moderate senators balked.
Congressional Dynamics
Congress must ratify the cuts by Friday, or the White House will spend the money as originally allocated. The rescission package is rare, with no similar measure passing in decades.
Political Reactions
Moderate Republican senators warned against ceding budget control to the White House, while Trump threatened to withhold endorsements from any “rebels.” Some Democrats argued the cuts would not reduce deficits but would dismantle a trusted information source.
Guardian Summary: The Senate’s vote signals the first in a potential series codifying DOGE’s spending cuts, following Musk’s $290 million election contribution and his campaign to save $2 trillion in federal spending. DOGE claims to have saved taxpayers $190 billion, a figure many fact‑checkers question.
