US lawmakers approve $9bn in Musk-backed federal cuts

(AFP): US lawmakers on Thursday approved a White House request to claw back $9.4 billion from funding already allocated by Congress in a victory for President Donald Trump as he pushes to lock in spending cuts spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

The vote in the Republican-led US House of Representatives was seen as the first test of how easily Congress could usher into law savings sought by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — just days after his acrimonious exit from the government.

But the saved funds — targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid -- were unpopular in some sections of both parties, and Republicans in the House of Representatives shoehorned the bill through a razor-thin 214-212 vote. "Under President Trump's leadership, your taxpayer dollars are no longer being wasted," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement.

"Instead, they are being directed toward priorities that truly benefit the American people."

Legislation to grab back money already approved by Congress — known as a "rescissions package" —  is extremely rare and no such measure had passed in decades.

The vote was the first in what Johnson has touted as a potential series of packages codifying the cuts made by DOGE.

Musk was tasked by Trump with leading the task force after spending $290 million helping the Republican get elected.