Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world
The US Senate has approved a $9bn package of spending cuts that will hit public broadcasting and overseas aid, in a sign that the push to cut government expenditure spearheaded by Elon Musk is set to outlast the billionaire’s split with Donald Trump.
Broadcasting institutions NPR and PBS would lose federal funding if the package, which the Republican-led Senate approved by 51 votes to 48, were signed into law. The bill would also shut off funding for foreign aid grants for the US Agency for International Development.
The measure still needs final approval by the House of Representatives, which is due to vote on it this week. The bill must pass by a Friday deadline.
Musk, a key fundraiser for Trump’s second presidential campaign, was tasked with finding cost savings via the newly created so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
However, the relationship between the US president and the billionaire tech entrepreneur has soured in recent weeks over Musk’s disagreement with Trump’s tax and tariff policies.
Earlier this month, Trump suggested that Doge could be used to examine subsidies that Musk’s businesses Tesla and SpaceX receive.
NPR and PBS have long been criticised by right-leaning politicians in the US for alleged liberal bias.
The bill includes sweeping cuts to foreign aid, including to global health programmes, migration and refugee assistance, and international disaster relief.
It also removes funding for operating expenses at the US Agency for International Development. Last month, research published in The Lancet found that planned cuts to the agency could cause more than 14mn extra deaths by 2030.
Read the full article here
