House Passes Trump’s $9B DOGE Cuts Package Amid GOP Epstein Rift

Trump’s DOGE budget cuts passed the House with a narrow 216-213 vote, delivering a major win for President Trump’s government efficiency reform. The House passes DOGE cuts despite GOP Epstein conflict that nearly derailed Trump’s spending bill, marking the first successful use of an obscure budget law in roughly 30 years.

House Republicans pass Trump's $9 billion DOGE cuts package. The bill next goes to the president to sign into law. https://t.co/Vlj2jDVFnc

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 18, 2025

Trump Doge Budget Cuts Spark GOP Epstein Rift And Government Efficiency Reform

Trump’s DOGE budget cuts package removes $9 billion from federal programs, with $8 billion being cut from foreign aid and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting. This government efficiency reform actually faced unexpected challenges when the GOP Epstein conflict emerged over transparency demands.

Package Details and Legislative Victory

The House passes DOGE cuts represent Trump’s first major legislative success using presidential rescission authority. Trump’s spending bill targets the US Agency for International Development along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS right now.

Speaker Mike Johnson had this to say:

“We’re going to downsize the scope of government. Government is too large. It does too many things, and it does almost nothing well. We believe in a limited government that’s accountable and efficient and effective for the people.”

Also Read: DOGE Targets SEC SPAC Rules as Trump Pushes Deregulation

Republican Opposition and Epstein File Controversy

Only GOP Reps. Mike Turner and Brian Fitzpatrick opposed Trump’s DOGE budget cuts. The GOP Epstein conflict created tension when members demanded Jeffrey Epstein file transparency before supporting the government efficiency reform measures.

Johnson stated regarding the Epstein resolution:

“We will see how all of this develops. We’re in line with the White House, there’s no daylight between us.”

Senate Changes and Future Implications

The final Trump spending bill was reduced by $400 million after senators rejected PEPFAR cuts. Despite these changes, the House passes DOGE cuts still achieved significant reductions in federal spending.

Rep. Eric Burlison said:

“It’s disappointing that we’re, you know, $37 trillion in debt. This, to me, was low hanging fruit. We saw how DOGE exposed a lot of this misuse of funds.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concerns about future negotiations:

“Every time they have tried to resist Trump and Vought, they have folded – as recently as last night. I don’t have much faith in that.”

Also Read: Trump Threatens To Unleash DOGE Audit On Elon Musk Over Subsidies

Trump’s DOGE budget cuts now head to the president’s desk, completing this phase of government efficiency reform despite the GOP Epstein conflict challenges.