Trump’s $9.4 Billion Budget Rescue Faces GOP Resistance From Within
President Donald Trump’s bold $9.4 billion federal spending rollback — aimed at eliminating government waste, cutting foreign aid, and defunding liberal media outlets — now teeters on the edge, not because of Democrat obstruction, but due to hesitation from a handful of moderate House Republicans.
Key Cuts Target Foreign Aid and Liberal Media Giants
The proposal, set for a high-stakes vote in the House of Representatives, slashes $8.3 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which fuels NPR and PBS — both long criticized for their progressive slant and taxpayer-funded bias.
But despite overwhelming support from the Republican base and conservative leaders, four GOP lawmakers could derail the effort:
- Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV)
- Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)
- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)
- Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE)
These four have not yet committed to supporting the bill, even though they voted to allow debate. With Republicans holding just a three-seat majority, any defection could hand Democrats an unexpected win.
Why Are These Republicans Hesitating?
Rep. Mark Amodei, co-chair of the Public Broadcasting Caucus, claims to support cutting national outlets like NPR and PBS but fears that defunding would hurt small-town stations in red counties.
“These aren’t the guys flipping off conservatives with editorial boards,” Amodei told Fox News Digital. “They’re important to rural infrastructure.”
Rep. David Valadao, who represents a Democrat-leaning district in California, has declined to say how he’ll vote. He admitted to Politico that the bill’s future is uncertain but offered no additional comment.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis expressed procedural concerns, warning that the bill gives too much discretion to the White House on how cuts are implemented — even though it aligns with Trump’s effort to restore accountability.
“We hold the power of the purse,” she said. “We should be deciding where taxpayer money goes.”
Rep. Don Bacon, whose district went for Kamala Harris in 2024, has offered mixed signals. While he was reassured that foreign aid cuts won’t affect certain medical research, he voiced support for Nebraska Public Radio and hasn’t confirmed how he’ll vote.
“I’ve got a good relationship with Nebraska Public Radio and TV,” he said last week.
Elon Musk’s Anti-Waste Initiative Drives the Cuts
This rescissions package — a tool that allows the president to cancel previously approved funding — is the first installment in a larger push led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Originally tasked with uncovering $2 trillion in federal waste, DOGE has already identified $180 billion in unnecessary spending.
If passed, this proposal would be a critical step in reining in Washington’s bloated bureaucracy and restoring common sense to federal spending.
Speaker Johnson: “Every Republican Should Support This”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) strongly backed the bill this week, saying:
“These are commonsense cuts. Every member of Congress should support this. It’s about restoring fiscal sanity and eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse from our government.”
Will Moderate Republicans Surrender to the Left?
Conservative voters across the country are watching closely. If even a few moderate Republicans cave under pressure, Trump’s effort to clean up Washington and shut down liberal slush funds could collapse — delivering a major win to Democrats and the mainstream media.
