Latest news with #federalspending
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
House Republicans eye restrictions on D.C. traffic safety, abortion and more
House Republicans on Monday advanced a hulking effort to overwrite a swath of D.C. laws and restrict local spending, touching facets of city life from health care to public safety in a move that frustrated local leaders who have few options to stave off federal intervention. The federal spending bill would ban the city from enforcing traffic laws with automated cameras, cutting off a key source of revenue as D.C. is grappling with the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to the federal workforce and continues to struggle with traffic deaths and serious injuries. It would also prevent the city from funding its major police accountability legislation and prohibit enforcement of a local law protecting employees from discrimination based on their reproductive choices. 'In my long career representing D.C. residents in Congress, I have rarely seen a bill as unreasonable and patronizing to the more than 700,000 people who live in the nation's capital as this one,' Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District's nonvoting delegate in the House, said in a statement. The bill, facing a long path through Congress, arrives on the heels of President Donald Trump again publicly musing about taking over the city. He has repeatedly derided the nation's capital — which overwhelmingly voted against him three times — as dangerous, filthy and ruined by liberal policies. The House Financial Services and General Government subcommittee considered the bill Monday evening. The bill extends a pair of long-standing budgetary restrictions — known as riders — that D.C. leaders have for years tried to remove. One restricts the city from using local funds to subsidize abortions for low-income residents. Another restricts D.C. from setting up a recreational marijuana market. It also adds a slew of additional funding blockages. Among them is a provision prohibiting D.C. from using local funds to carry out automated traffic enforcement and from stopping motorists from making right turns on red. When asked about the pair of provisions at a news conference earlier Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said: 'Obviously, they're local issues. How you operate the street is a local issue.' Still, the mayor was hopeful that her administration's lobbying could prevent it. 'We were able to beat it back before and I'll have my teams doing a full-court press on it,' she said, adding the provisions would take the 'untenable' step of unbalancing the local budget. According to Bowser's office, the traffic enforcement rider would blow a $180 million hole in the fiscal 2026 budget, which D.C. government federal affairs officials said was deeply concerning. 'It causes a budget crisis when we don't need one,' said council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large). If enacted, the legislation would also prohibit D.C. from spending local funds to enforce vehicle emission standards. It includes a provision that would prevent the District from allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections and would repeal the Death With Dignity Act, a 2016 measure permitting physicians to help terminally ill patients die. And it allows people with a concealed carry permit from any state or territory to carry a concealed weapon in D.C. and on public transportation. Republicans have proposed many of these riders before, although some were new — including one to restrict funding to implement a bill imposing new requirements on health care insurers involving vasectomies or gender-affirming care; and another that would restrict enforcement of a consumer protection law against oil and gas companies. 'This proposed budget is a billboard for D.C. statehood,' said Ankit Jain, a shadow senator for D.C., lambasting members of Congress for 'this level of micromanagement of D.C. municipal affairs.' He added: 'Don't they have better things to do?' The District has a larger population than Vermont and Wyoming but has no voting representation on the floor in Congress, which the Constitution gives authority over D.C.'s laws and budget. The city won limited self-government when Congress passed the Home Rule Act in 1973, giving D.C. residents the power to elect their own mayor and city council. Another rider would prohibit enforcement of a D.C. law protecting employees from discrimination based on their reproductive health care choices. Two years ago, eight Republicans raised concerns about the provision, a large enough bloc to threaten the entire financial services appropriations bill. Their pushback surprised D.C. officials not used to seeing Republicans defend the deep-blue city. The legislation will next go before the House Appropriations Committee and must pass both the House and a filibuster in the Senate, which requires some Democratic support. Among the barrage of restrictive measures, 'there are a number of victories for residents of the nation's capital,' Norton said in a Sunday statement. Under the bill, the DC Tuition Assistance Grant, which helps pay the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition for D.C. residents, the yearly cap increases $10,000 to $15,000. The lifetime award cap would increase from $50,000 to $75,000. The bill would maintain the provision to exempt the D.C. government from a federal government shutdown in fiscal 2026 and would approve D.C. to spend under its next fiscal local budget. The bill also includes $70 million for the Emergency Planning and Security Fund to help cover the cost of local support for activities associated with the federal government — a perennial issue for D.C., which routinely spends more money than Congress appropriates to manage national events and demonstrations. That is more than double the $30 million Trump proposed in his budget request, leaving D.C. government federal affairs officials breathing a sigh of relief and thankful to the committee for the bump. Meanwhile, Trump has threatened to derail the plan to build a new stadium for the Washington Commanders unless the team changes its name. While campaigning, Trump singled out the nation's capital, pledging to 'rebuild our cities, including Washington, D.C., making them safe, clean and beautiful again.' Earlier this month, he again mused about a federal takeover of the city — a move he could execute with the help of a GOP-led Congress. He told reporters: 'We could run D.C.'
CNA
5 days ago
- Business
- CNA
US Congress approves US$9 billion in Trump cuts to foreign aid, public media
WASHINGTON: US Republicans early on Friday (Jul 18) approved President Donald Trump's plan to cancel US$9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, vowing it was just the start of broader efforts by Congress to slash the federal budget. The cuts achieve only a tiny fraction of the US$1 trillion in annual savings that tech billionaire and estranged Trump donor Elon Musk vowed to find before his acrimonious exit in May from a role spearheading federal cost-cutting. But Republicans - who recently passed a domestic policy bill expected to add more than US$3 trillion to US debt - said the vote honoured Trump's election campaign pledge to rein in runaway spending. "President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement just after the vote. "Today, we're once again delivering on that promise." Both chambers of Congress are Republican-controlled, meaning a mostly party-line House of Representatives vote of 216 to 213, moments after midnight, was sufficient to approve the Senate-passed measure. The bill now heads to the White House to be signed by Trump, who praised his backers in the House. "REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED... BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!" he wrote on Truth Most of the cuts target programmes for countries hit by disease, war and natural disasters. But the move also scraps US$1.1 billion that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years. Conservatives say the funding - which goes mostly to more than 1,500 local public radio and TV stations, as well as to public broadcasters NPR and PBS - is unnecessary and has funded biased coverage. The bill originally included US$400 million in cuts to a global AIDS programme that is credited with saving 26 million lives, but that funding was saved by a rebellion by moderate Republicans. "DARK DAY" The vote was a win for Trump and fiscal hawks seeking to support the mission of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), launched by Musk as Trump was swept to power, for radical savings. Congress had already approved the cash that was clawed back, and Democrats framed the bill as a betrayal of the bipartisan government funding process. They fear Trump's victory clears the way for more "rescissions packages" cancelling agreed spending. "Instead of protecting the health, safety and well-being of the American people, House Republicans have once again rubber stamped Donald Trump's extreme, reckless rescissions legislation," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement with fellow top Democrats. Republicans need some Democratic votes to keep the government funded past September, and the minority party had threatened to abandon any plans for cooperation if the DOGE cuts went ahead. Jeffries and fellow Democrats seemed to suggest as much on Friday. "Tonight's vote... makes it clear that House Republicans are determined to march this country toward a painful government shutdown later this year," they said in the statement. Although they are in the minority, Democrats have leverage in funding fights because a budget deal would need at least 60 votes in the 100-member Senate and Republicans only have 53 seats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "a dark day for any American who relies on public broadcasting during floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters."
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Live updates: House eyes final passage of Trump's bill clawing back federal funding
The Republican-led House could vote as early as Thursday afternoon on legislation requested by President Donald Trump to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and federal funding for public broadcasting. The Senate narrowly approved the measure early Thursday, handing the Trump administration a victory in its ongoing power struggle with Congress over federal spending. It could be the first in a series of bills that seeks to cancel previously approved appropriations. Trump, meanwhile, plans to sign more executive orders Thursday, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has scheduled a briefing for reporters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration of illegal conduct after it pulled about $4 billion in federal funds from a high-speed rail project to link Los Angeles and San Francisco — the latest public clash between the president and the outspoken Democratic governor, who described the years-long project as soon entering its final stages. The Senate narrowly approved President Donald Trump's request to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and federal funding for public broadcasting early Thursday morning, handing the administration a victory in its power struggle with Congress over spending. The vote was 51-48. Two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — voted with Democrats against the bill. A group of Republican senators sent a letter Wednesday to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought asking the Trump administration to reverse its decision to withhold nearly $7 billion in congressionally approved education funding and release it to the states. The lawmakers warned that holding back the funds harms students, families and local economies. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) introduced a resolution Wednesday that calls on the Justice Department to release 'appropriate, non-sensitive materials' related to its investigation into deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein. Gallego is the latest Democrat to press the administration to disclose more about Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges and died weeks later in federal custody in what was ruled a suicide. His death has fueled innumerable conspiracy theories.
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
US Senate approves cutting billions in foreign aid as Trump demands
United States senators have passed a package of sweeping cuts that would slash Washington's foreign aid expenditures by about $8bn as part of President Donald Trump's pledge to drastically shrink federal spending. The package, which passed in a 51-48 vote early on Thursday, cancels $9bn in spending already approved by Congress, including more than $1bn to be stripped from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Two of the Senate's 53 Republicans voted with Democrats against the legislation. The vote was seen as a test of how easily senators would approve spending cuts recommended by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The president, who has made slashing federal spending a domestic priority, established the department and had put billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk at the helm to identify areas for government cost-cutting before the SpaceX and Tesla CEO left in May. A public spat between Musk and Trump over deficit spending erupted a short time later. Food for starving children in Afghanistan, Pakistan to be burned Much of the $8bn in foreign aid cuts under the 'rescissions' package, which now returns to the House of Representatives for final approval, had been allocated to the now-defunct US Agency for International Development (USAID), a prime target for DOGE. The agency, which was established during the Cold War to run aid programmes and project US soft power internationally, closed its doors this month after the Trump administration's announcement in January that it was shutting down USAID. Within the funding that was cut was $4.15bn to boost economies and strengthen democratic institutions in developing countries, The Associated Press news agency reported. The package also cancelled $800m for a programme that assists with emergency shelter, water, sanitation and family reunification for people fleeing their homelands as well as $496m for food, water and healthcare in countries affected by natural disasters or conflicts. A senior US official said on Wednesday that nearly 500 tonnes of high-energy biscuits intended to feed 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan would soon be incinerated due to the Trump administration's decision to shut down USAID. 'A bunch of junk' Democrats argued that weakening foreign aid efforts would diminish the US's global status and leave a vacuum that would be filled by rivals like China. Senator Brian Schatz said cutting food aid and disease prevention measures was having life-and-death consequences, AP reported. 'People are dying right now, not in spite of us but because of us,' he said. But Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, told the AFP news agency that while he was a 'big fan' of foreign aid and the soft power it brought, he believed money was being wasted. 'When you start spending money on a bunch of junk and liberal programmes disconnected from the purpose of the aid package, it makes it difficult on a guy like me,' he said. Republican leaders had removed a $400m cut to an HIV prevention programme from the package after requests from its own lawmakers. The programme is credited with saving millions of lives. US Constitution's ideals 'undermined' The cuts to public broadcasting, which Republicans have accused of having a left-wing bias, also met with fierce objections. Democrats said they would remove a key public service that performs a vital role, particularly during emergencies like natural disasters. The package cancels $1.1bn that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was due to receive over the next two years. It would help fund National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as well as more than 1,500 local radio and television stations. Democrats said the rescissions package, by cutting $9bn from a $6.8 trillion federal budget, would do little to meaningfully tackle the deficit but would harm important public institutions. 'It is yet another example of the spirit and ideals of our constitution being undermined in a terrible way,' New Jersey Senator Cory Booker told AFP. Others, including Senator Mitch McConnell, the former Republican Senate leader, expressed concerns about ceding congressional spending powers to the president, saying he was worried about handing the White House a 'blank cheque' on spending issues, AP reported. But he ultimately voted to approve the package.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Senate Approves Trump's Demand To Claw Back Foreign Aid And Public Broadcast Funding
The Senate voted to approve a White House request to cancel $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting early on Thursday, handing President Donald Trump and his administration a significant win in their push to gain more control over federal spending. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to the press outside his office at the US Capitol ... More in Washington D.C. AFP via Getty Images The rescissions package, which will claw back the $9 billion in funding, was approved with a 51-48 vote. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, were the only two GOP senators who voted against the bill while Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., was unable to vote as she had been taken to the hospital earlier in the day after she 'started to not feel well.' The bill now moves to the GOP-controlled House, which is expected to pass it later this week. The legislation agrees to claw back $1.1 billion in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—which helps fund public broadcasters like PBS and NPR—and around $8 billion from foreign aid programs. This is a developing story.
