House Republicans Pass $9 Billion Retirement Package
In a recent development, House Republicans have approved a $9 billion retirement package aimed at reversing federal foreign aid spending previously allocated to government-funded outlets, notably NPR and PBS.
The vote wrapped up late Thursday night, edging into Friday morning.
The package passed narrowly with a 216-213 vote, notably with Republican representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio) joining Democrats in opposition.
Facing a looming deadline, the House rushed to push through the proposal, which had been submitted by the White House in June. This was part of a broader initiative to implement recommended spending cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On the same day, the Senate also approved the bill, though it faced bipartisan pushback. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) opposed the measure alongside all 46 Democrats.
This latest House vote finalizes the changes to the Senate’s retirement measures, moving the bill to President Trump’s desk for signing.
The law aims to reclaim around $8 billion from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and at least $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), impacting left-leaning outlets like PBS and NPR—targets that conservatives have long sought to address.
Interestingly, House Republicans had initially passed a version of this package earlier in the month. However, the Senate took weeks to deliberate, raising concerns over some proposed cuts.
In the end, the Trump administration opted to drop a plan that would have removed roughly $400 million from a federal program dedicated to fighting global AIDS, perhaps to ease some criticism.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) could have extended his remarks against the measure, yet he chose to keep his speech brief, lasting just 15 minutes on Thursday night—a surprise given his typical verbosity.
This month, Jeffries employed “magic minutes” privileges, which had previously delayed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act for nearly nine hours.
Looking ahead, White House management and budget director Russ Vought is expected to propose further rescue plans to Congress in the coming months.
Speaker Mike Johnson remarked on Twitter about the promise of fiscal responsibility and government efficiency, suggesting this package removes $9 billion in unnecessary spending at agencies like the State Department and USAID.
Some representatives, like Elise Stefanik, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing their commitment to taxpayers and criticizing misleading reports from NPR and related outlets.
