House conservatives are signaling that President Donald Trump is testing the Republican Party’s commitment to fiscal restraint by advancing a $9.4 billion spending cut proposal. The measure, which targets funding for PBS, NPR, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has been framed as a strategic move to push Congress toward greater budgetary discipline. The package, part of a broader effort to reduce federal expenditures, is being viewed as a trial run for future cuts and has drawn mixed reactions from within the GOP. With the legislative process fast-tracked, the outcome could shape the party’s stance on spending and set the tone for future fiscal policy debates.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, described the vote as a ‘test’ of whether Congress has the ‘fortitude’ to implement Trump’s spending cuts or if members would revert to partisan politics. ‘I think this is going to demonstrate whether Congress has the fortitude to do what they always say they’ll do – cut the minimal amount of spending, or are they going to go back into their parochial politics?’ he said.
House GOP leaders introduced the legislation seeking to codify Trump’s spending cut request as a rescissions package, which is expected to face a House-wide vote in the coming weeks. The bill, which mirrors the Trump administration’s initial proposal, would claw back previously allocated funds for agencies like PBS, NPR, and USAID. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., called the proposal a step toward ‘cutting waste, fraud, and abuse’ and ‘holding agencies accountable to the American people.’
While some GOP leaders have expressed support for the idea, others, including Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., argue that the bill is a strategic test by the White House. ‘You’re dead right,’ Norman said, ‘I think that it’s a test case – if we can’t get that…then we’re not serious about cutting the budget.’
A rescissions package only requires simple majorities in the House and Senate to pass, but the slim Republican majorities in both chambers could complicate the process. Republicans are also racing against the clock, as a rescissions package has 45 days to be considered before it is deemed rejected and the funding reinstated.
Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, dismissed concerns about the spending cuts, arguing that the proposed cuts represent ‘very low-hanging fruit’ and that the administration should focus on more pressing issues, like illegal immigration. ‘If someone on the Republican side can make a case for PBS, but they won’t take a tough vote against illegal immigration, then we’ve got a lot of problems,’ he said.
Meanwhile, critics, including some moderate Republicans, have raised concerns about the potential impact of the cuts. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., expressed worries about the effects of the bill on public broadcasting and critical USAID programs, such as those targeting Ebola and HIV in Africa. He described his stance as a ‘non-answer’ until he reviews the details of the legislation, but he hinted at his support for Nebraska Public Radio and TV.
Despite these concerns, the White House is closely watching how Congress proceeds with the first rescue package. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has floated the idea of ‘pocket rescissions,’ a strategy to expedite the process by introducing spending cuts less than 45 days before the end of the fiscal year. This approach would allow the funds to expire automatically, bypassing the need for congressional action.
As the legislation moves toward the House Rules Committee for consideration, the debate over Trump’s spending cuts underscores the broader fiscal policy tensions within the GOP. Whether Congress can deliver on the president’s mandate for budget cuts will not only determine the immediate legislative outcome but also influence the direction of future fiscal policy within the party.