House Republicans face a midnight deadline Friday and pass a Trump-backed bill that cuts $9 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid programs.
Senate passes bills and cuts funding for public broadcasting
The bill, which cuts more than $9 billion from public broadcasting, foreign aid and more, will then move on to the president for the final House vote.
WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans have curbed $9 billion in federal funding and proceeded with measures that clash with public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. Now it’s the house turn to make President Donald Trump call on cutting spending beyond the finish line.
However, what was expected to pass through the subroom relatively easily on July 17th has been adopted by other unrelated legislative debates, including an increase in calls to release the Jeffrey Epstein case file.
Lawmakers must approve the cut until midnight on July 18th. Otherwise, Trump’s official demands have expired and current funds previously approved by Congress still exist.
To meet this deadline, House Republicans have some final steps to overcome the hurdles to clay.
Senate swipes Sesame Street dollars
The Senate has approved a total of $9 billion, a total of $9 billion for public broadcasting funding NPR and PBS, and measures to withdraw foreign aid agencies, including the World Health Organization and the International Development Organization.
That roughly $1 billion comes from public broadcasts on networks known for shows such as “Sesame Street,” “Frontline,” and “Antiques Roadshow.” Local bureaus rely on federal grants more than national counterparts, and is expected to bear the brunt of lost funds.
Most of the cuts cover foreign aid, including international peacekeeping operations and specific global health initiatives.
After some Republican senators raised concerns, the Senate cut $400 million to prevent AIDS worldwide.
Crypto drama? check.
The house spent quite a bit of time this week dealing with one major obstacle to covering Trump-backed spending cuts: laws dealing with cryptocurrency.
On July 17, the GOP-led Chamber of Commerce ultimately passed three bills related to the crypto industry and regulations. But it only happens after a few days of conflict between Republicans, and line up after pushing those votes up later that week and continuing to vote for spending cuts.
How does Epstein show weight on this?
The recent fallout between Trump and his Maga base over review of the administration’s Epstein case has overshadowed Capitol Hill and spending reduction procedures.
Congressional Democrats are leaning towards the issue of wedges and are proposing legislation seeking the release of documents related to the deceased shameful financiers and sex offenders who were taken into custody in 2019.
Some Republicans say they want more transparency and prioritize those requests ahead of the funding withdrawal vote. The internal GOP debate over Epstein-related laws has further clogged the House’s voting process.
When will the House vote occur?
The House of Representatives was able to quickly decide to cut public broadcasting and foreign aid on the evening of July 17th.
However, if Republican negotiations to force Epstein-related votes are dragged down, the unrelated funding bill could be punted on July 18th just before the deadline.
