President Trump notched another big legislative win early Thursday morning as the Senate passed a sweeping $9 billion package of federal spending cuts targeting liberal public broadcasters and bloated international aid programs. The bill sailed through by a narrow 51–48 margin, marking a decisive shift away from taxpayer-funded leftist propaganda and globalist pet projects.
Public broadcasting networks like NPR and PBS were among the biggest losers in the bill, which cuts off their federal funding entirely. Trump has long blasted both outlets as ideological mouthpieces for the left. Their defunding now fulfills one of his most symbolic campaign pledges: to stop forcing Americans to bankroll media that relentlessly oppose their values.
The legislation also goes after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), axing up to $8 billion in foreign assistance, including cuts to global health programs, refugee services, and international disaster relief. GOP lawmakers argued these funds were often sent with little accountability to countries and causes that neither advance U.S. interests nor help struggling Americans at home.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the bill “a small but important step toward fiscal sanity,” echoing Trump’s broader agenda to rein in Washington’s unchecked spending and restore focus on domestic priorities.
The late-night victory came despite internal resistance. Two senior Republicans on the Appropriations Committee voted against the measure, concerned about the optics of slashing aid and cultural programming. But Trump’s grip on the party—and on the budget—ultimately proved stronger.
The timing of the vote, held just after 2 a.m., wasn’t accidental. Senate Democrats had hoped to delay or derail the effort, but Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking procedural vote earlier in the week to keep the bill alive. That cleared the way for final passage just before a looming Friday deadline.
While the House still needs to vote for final approval, Speaker Mike Johnson has already voiced support, urging the Senate to send the bill back without changes. “We need to hold the line,” he said. “No more taxpayer-funded activism abroad or at home.”
Once signed into law, the cuts will permanently remove key funding channels for liberal institutions. Critics have already begun raising alarm, claiming the bill targets “public trust” resources. But conservatives say the American public is tired of being forced to support media platforms and global programs that mock their values or ignore their struggles.
The move is also being hailed by Trump loyalists as evidence of the administration’s deepening resolve. Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump strategist, noted that these cuts show “President Trump is serious about dismantling the administrative state and ending the gravy train for elite institutions.”
While the left accuses Trump of ideological warfare, his supporters see a long-overdue course correction. With the Senate’s approval of the rescissions package, and the House expected to follow suit, President Trump’s America First economic agenda now has another victory to add to the growing list.