Rescind $9.4 Billion in funding to the State Department, Foreign Aid, and Public Broadcasting?

Education Foreign Affairs/Relations Government Operations (e.g., Election Laws)
Rescissions Act (H.R. 4)
Awaiting Vote
Bill Summary

H.R. 4 rescinds previously appropriated funding to the State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) foreign aid as well as public broadcasting identified as "woke" by the Trump Administration such as National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The proposed changes are estimated to save the federal government 9.4 billion dollars.
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Opponents say

•    "Let’s be honest about what this is: President Trump is looking to go after PBS and NPR to settle political scores and muzzle the free press, while undermining foreign assistance programs that push back on China’s malign influence, save lives, and address other bipartisan priorities. The Trump administration continues to take their eye off the ball and is not focused on helping lower middle-class families’ costs. Instead, they are pursuing political retribution to appease the most right-wing factions. They are blowing up the national debt to give the wealthiest few and biggest corporations huge tax breaks while ripping health care away from millions of Americans. Donald Trump’s misplaced priorities are exactly why Americans have quickly turned on his presidency. If Republicans choose to go along with this rescission package, they will follow Trump at their peril. The power of the purse is one of Congress’s most fundamental Constitutional responsibilities. Democrats will not allow Republicans to play games with the budget." Source: Sen. Chuck Schumer (Democrat, New York), Senate Minority Leader, and Sen. Patty Murray (Democrat, Washington), in a joint statement


•    "The request included a cut to the HIV/AIDS program started by President George W. Bush that is known as PEPFAR. It was one of the most successful public health programs in the world without a doubt. I will not support a cut in PEPFAR, which is a program that has saved literally millions of lives and has been extremely effective and well run." Source: Sen. Susan Collins (Republican, Maine)


•    "Without federal support for public broadcasting, many localities would struggle to receive timely, reliable local news and educational content, especially remote and rural communities that commercial newsrooms are increasingly less likely to invest in. In states such as Alaska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Texas, rural public radio stations are often the only weekly or daily news source in their communities. Even in places with other daily or weekly news sources, those outlets may not be directing resources toward original or locally based stories, leaving it to public stations to fill the gap." Source: Rep. Dan Goldman (Democrat, New York, District 10)

Proponents say

•    "Enacting a rescissions package is a first step toward the major deficit reduction this country needs. We are borrowing nearly $2 trillion annually, on pace to hit record debt within a few years, and the House passed a bill to make the debt $3 trillion worse. Nonetheless, every bit of savings helps. Rescissions packages can reduce the amount we spend and actually put that money to deficit reduction. They offer a way to actually codify some of the ‘DOGE’ savings into law, giving the President the opportunity to identify spending cuts and the Congress the chance to enact them. Rescission requests used to be fairly common, and hopefully they will be again. While $9.4 billion may be small in the context of $7 trillion of annual spending, this practice can help build muscle memory and encourage policymakers to tackle the larger spending programs in the future." Source: Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget


•    "President Trump and House Republicans ran on the promise to combat bloated government spending by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. As part of this mission, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigated where taxpayer dollars were being squandered – and what they found was shocking… For far too long, Washington has run on out-of-control spending at the expense and detriment of the American taxpayer. The rescission request sent to Congress by the Trump Administration takes the federal government in a new direction where we actually cut waste, fraud, and abuse and hold agencies accountable to the American people. House Republicans are bringing legislation to cut $9.4 billion in wasteful government spending, fulfilling the promise we made to the American people to restore fiscal sanity to Washington and reverse years of reckless spending that drives inflation… House Republicans are fighting to get our government back on track, and we won’t stop working to cut bloated spending, restore common sense to the federal government, and change the trajectory of Washington spending." Source: Rep. Steve Scalise (Republican, Louisiana, District 1), House Majority Leader


•    "This rescissions package reflects many of DOGE’s findings and is one of the many legislative tools Republicans are using to restore fiscal sanity… Congress will continue working closely with the White House to codify these recommendations, and the House will bring the package to the floor as quickly as possible." Source: Rep. Mike Johnson (Republican, Louisiana, District 4), Speaker of the House

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