Senior GOP officials have confirmed that the White House will send a small package of spending cuts to Congress next week, as part of an effort to formalize the reductions from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. The $9.4 billion funding cut proposal, which is expected to arrive on Capitol Hill, has been the subject of an internal battle within the administration, with various officials weighing in on the best way to move forward. The package is expected to target agencies like NPR, PBS, and foreign aid programs, which have already been significantly affected by previous cuts under the Trump administration.
Speaker Mike Johnson of the House of Representatives has been vocal in his support for the proposed cuts, calling for a swift and decisive action on the matter. Johnson emphasized the need to deliver the Trump administration’s agenda, citing the American public’s demand for more cuts to what he and fellow Republicans refer to as ‘big government.’ However, the timeline for the proposal has been a point of contention, with House Republicans growing impatient as they await the formal request. The administration had confirmed more than six weeks ago it intended to send the cutbacks, but the pace of action has been a source of frustration.
In addition to the House, the Senate has also shown interest, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressing eagerness to act on the rescissions package. However, the Senate’s top Republican appropriator, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, has raised concerns about the process, indicating that she plans to take the time to review any White House request before taking action. She emphasized the need for a thorough vetting of any proposals to ensure they align with the Senate’s interests.
A significant portion of the pressure pushing for the cuts comes from Musk-friendly Republicans who have been vocal on the social media platform X. Senators like Mike Lee of Utah and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been instrumental in amplifying the call for the cuts. Musk himself has criticized the Trump-backed megabill, which passed the House, for increasing the budget deficit rather than supporting the DOGE effort. His comment that a bill can be big or beautiful, but not both, has sparked debate about the effectiveness of such measures.
There are also concerns about the likelihood of the proposed cuts passing Congress, given the historically challenging nature of such measures. Some Republicans have indicated that they may be hesitant to support certain cuts to public media, which have been a point of contention in previous years. For instance, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska has already expressed reluctance to support the cuts to public media, citing the quality of services provided by such groups. This reluctance has added another layer of uncertainty to the process, with some lawmakers warning that the package may not be fully supported by the House.
Moreover, the GOP’s recent history with similar proposals provides context for these current discussions. In 2018, Congress rejected Trump’s request to cut $15 billion from funding, and some lawmakers are wary of repeating that mistake. As a result, top House GOP appropriators have been in negotiations with the White House to ensure the package can pass, working with the administration to shape the proposal to meet congressional needs. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole has reported that they are in ‘robust’ negotiations with the White House to determine what the request will include.
Overall, while the White House and key Republicans are pushing for the proposed cuts, the path to finalizing and passing the package remains uncertain. The combination of political maneuvering, legislative challenges, and the influence of online pressure campaigns means that the DOGE initiative’s impact on federal spending remains a topic of ongoing debate in Washington. The outcome of this process will determine whether the proposed cuts are realized and how they will shape the future of government spending in the United States.