The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump's plan to cancel $9 billion (€7.74 billion) in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting early on Friday.

"President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement shortly after the vote.

"Today, we're once again delivering on that promise."

The chamber voted 216 to 213 in favor of the funding cut package. Two Republicans voted against the cut, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania and Mike Turner from Ohio, along with Democrats.

What is being cut in Trump's new bill?

The spending cuts represent a fraction of the projected $3 trillion that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is expected to add to the national debt.

It is also much less than the $1 trillion in annual savings that former Trump ally Elon Musk promised to achieve in the few months that he led a federal cost-cutting program.

Most of the financial cutbacks will affect countries hit by disease, conflict and natural disasters, but the cuts will also mean $1.1 billion less for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the next two years.

Conservatives argue the financial backing to the media, 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 led to biased coverage.

Another $400 million in cuts had been earmarked for a global AIDS program that is credited with saving 26 million lives, but a rebellion from moderate Republicans saved it from the chopping block.

Republicans celebrate, Democrats threaten budget

"REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED... BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!" President Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz defended the cuts to public broadcasting, saying they had been taken over by "partisan activists."

Meanwhile, Florida Republican Representative Aaron Bean said: "We are taking one small step to cut wasteful spending, but one giant leap towards fiscal sanity."

The bill had been held up in the House by some Republicans calling for more transparency about the documents related to deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. To smooth the passing of the bill, a resolution was passed calling for the Epstein documents to be released by the US attorney general in 30 days.

The Democrats slammed the spending cuts and suggested it would go ahead with threats it had made to block the budget in September if Musk's cuts were passed into law.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from the Democrats countered that the cut "undermines our ability to keep our people safe here and to project America's soft power all over the globe," arguing rural Americans' access to emergency information on public radio will be reduced.

"Tonight's vote... makes it clear that House Republicans are determined to march this country toward a painful government shutdown later this year," the party said in the statement.

The budget requires 60 out of 100 votes in the Senate, but Republicans only have 53 seats, giving the minority Democrats some leverage.

Edited by: Alex Berry