WASHINGTON, D.C. (Erie News Now) – Thursday afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives took a big step toward making spending cuts—identified by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)— permanent. 

The rescissions package would codify billions of dollars in cuts identified by Elon Musk and DOGE. Specifically, $9.4 billion in federal dollars— already authorized to be spent by Congress—would be clawed back or rescinded, if the package passes the Senate and is signed by President Trump. 

Within the first few months of President Trump’s second term, the controversial Department of Government Efficiency identified more than $9 billion in what it calls “wasteful spending.” The package would cut $8.3 billion from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as well as other international aid programs. 

It also includes over $1 billion in cuts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which provides funding to NPR and PBS. Democrats say that funding is essential to the functioning of the public media system and the communities they serve. 

Earlier this month, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and dozens of Senate Democrats sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R- SD) expressing their opposition to the CPB cuts. 

“Millions of people across the country whose stations rely on CPB funding for a significant percentage of their budget would be at risk of losing access to public television’s services. These are services that nobody else in the media world is providing, but it’s exactly the work for which public broadcasting was created, and they are delivering to our communities every day... Public broadcasting is an essential service that should be protected, not decimated. For this reason, we request that you prioritize maintaining and continuing funding for CPB,” the senators said in the letter. 

Democrats have fiercely criticized the cuts for public broadcasting, USAID and other proposed rescissions for months. But even a handful of House Republicans have expressed concerns about cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—a program launched by George W. Bush aimed at combatting HIV and AIDS globally. That program has been credited with saving millions of lives. 

Thursday afternoon, the package narrowly passed the House, 214–212, with a handful of Republicans voting against it. But some local Republicans were on board to codify the DOGE cuts. 

“What we’re looking at is what makes the most sense for the taxpayers who fund every one of these different programs,” said Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.). “DOGE did a good job of highlighting these things, but now it comes down to-- what is it that we can take care of right now that is in the best interest of the American people.”  

“Our debt has grown by nearly $17 trillion over the last six or seven years,” said Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). “We’ve got to reduce the wild spending that’s taking place.” 

The federal government spent $6.75 trillion in fiscal year 2024, according to the Treasury Department. The funds that would be clawed back in this package amount to roughly 0.14% of total spending in FY 2024. 

The next step for the package is the Senate. Republican leaders have reiterated they’d like to pass the package as soon as possible.