US Senate Passes Trump’s $9B Spending Cuts

The U.S. Senate on Thursday, July 17, 2025, passed a controversial $9 billion federal spending cut championed by President Donald Trump.

The proposal also reflects Elon Musk’s aggressive government cost-cutting blueprint.

In a tense late-night session, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 51 to 48 in favor of the bill.

The measure reduces foreign aid funding and eliminates federal support for public broadcasters such as the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

This vote marks the first major test of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk once led before his fallout with Trump in May.

Despite strong resistance from both parties, the bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

Lawmakers must approve it by Friday. If they fail, the White House will be forced to release the funds under the original budget plan.

One of the most contested proposals aimed to cut $400 million from health-related programs, including PEPFAR, the global AIDS relief initiative.

Moderate Republicans pushed back, citing the program’s success in saving over 26 million lives. As a result, the proposed health cuts were eventually removed.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina defended the final version.

While he supports foreign aid, he argued that liberal overspending has made such programs harder to justify.

DOGE claims to have saved taxpayers $190 billion so far. However, fact-checkers question the claim due to inconsistent reports and unclear measurement standards.

The largest cuts affect the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with $8 billion slashed from humanitarian funding.

The bill also removes $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This agency supports more than 1,500 local radio and television stations across the country.

In May, Trump signed an executive order halting all federal support for public broadcasting.

He previously accused NPR and PBS of political bias.

Critics, including Senator Cory Booker, condemned the bill. He warned that it erodes the democratic foundation of U.S. governance.

According to him, Congress is giving up its constitutional budget powers to the executive branch.

“This is about more than budget cuts,” Booker told AFP. “It’s about checks and balances being tossed aside.”

The Senate’s decision signals that Trump and his allies may pursue more DOGE-style rescissions as the 2026 budget fight approaches.

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