Latest news with #rescissionspackage
Fox News
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Congress sends $9B spending cuts package to Trump's desk after late-night House vote
Congress is officially sending a package detailing $9 billion in spending cuts to President Donald Trump's desk. The bill, called a "rescissions package," passed the House of Representatives in a late-night vote after intense debate between Republicans and Democrats. It's a victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., but a mostly symbolic one – the spending cuts bill was largely seen by Trump allies as a test run of a fiscal claw-back process not used in more than two decades. "This bill tonight is part of continuing that trend of getting spending under control. Does it answer all the problems? No. $9 billion, I would say is a good start," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during debate on the bill. When signed by Trump, it will block $8 billion in funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of the fiscal year. The dollars had been allocated by Congress for the duration of fiscal year 2025. Republicans celebrated it as a victory for cutting off the flow of U.S. taxpayer dollars to what they called "woke" initiatives abroad, while Democrats accused the right of gutting critical foreign aid. Rescissions packages are a way for the president to have input in Congress' yearly appropriations process. The White House sends a proposal to block some congressionally obligated funds, which lawmakers have 45 days to get through the House and Senate. Republicans have also been able to sideline Democrats so far, with the rescissions process lowering the Senate's threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51. The last time a rescissions package was signed into law was 1999. Consideration of the bill began with a House Rules Committee hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening. Democrats attempted multiple times throughout the process to weaponize the ongoing inter-GOP fallout over the Jeffrey Epstein case, both in the House Rules Committee and on the chamber floor during debate on the bill. Multiple calls were made for votes to force the release of the so-called Epstein "files." "If every Republican votes to block our attempt to release the records, they are telling Epstein's victims, you don't matter as much as our political convenience. And that should disgust every single one of us," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. Far-right GOP figures are demanding accountability, while Trump has called on his base to move on after the Department of Justice (DOJ) signaled the case was closed. Initial plans to begin advancing the bill earlier in the day were quickly scuttled, with Republicans on the committee being concerned about being put into a difficult position with potential Epstein votes. In the end, a compromise led to the House Rules Committee advancing a separate nonbinding measure dealing with Epstein transparency, on a parallel track to the rescissions bill. "All the credible evidence should come out. I've been very clear with members of the House Rules Committee. Republicans have been taking the incoming criticism because they voted to stop the Democrats' politicization of this, and they're trying to stick to their job and move their procedural rules to the floor so we can do our work and get the rescissions done for the American people," Johnson told reporters during negotiations earlier in the day. Democrats nevertheless pressed on, mentioning Epstein multiple times on the House floor. McGovern even briefly led a chant of "release the files" when closing debate on the bill. Republicans, in turn, accused Democrats of hypocrisy. "Interesting how they talk about Jeffrey Epstein, because for four years, Mr. Speaker, President Joe Biden had those files, and not a single Democrat that you're hearing tonight tried to get those files released," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said at one point during the House floor debate. The House initially voted to advance a $9.4 billion rescissions package, but it was trimmed somewhat in the Senate after some senators had concerns about cutting funding for HIV/AIDS prevention research in Africa. Trump is expected to sign the bill on Friday.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
SCOOP: House fiscal hawks warily accept Senate's $9B Trump spending cuts package
FIRST ON FOX: Some House fiscal hawks are cautiously readying to accept the $9 billion spending cuts package passed by the Senate overnight. The House of Representatives must pass the bill, called a rescissions package, by Friday. Rescissions packages are spending cuts requested by the White House of funds that Congress already appropriated for that fiscal year. It's a process that lets Republicans sideline Democrats by lowering the Senate's threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, but the request must be considered within 45 days. If that window passes, the funds must be re-obligated. As of Thursday morning, at least three conservatives – Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C. – signaled to Fox News Digital that they are leaning toward supporting it. It's good news for House GOP leaders who are dealing with a razor-thin, three-vote margin. A group of House conservatives wrote to the Senate earlier this week warning them not to change any part of the original $9.4 billion spending cuts package – though they stopped short of threatening to vote against it. The Senate version of the bill rolled back a spending cut for an HIV/AIDS research program in Africa after concerns were raised by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, and others. It wound up passing 51-48 after 2 a.m. on Thursday, with Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting against the bill. It's highly unlikely the minimal change will stir a significant rebellion, particularly after the White House green-lit the change. But leaders can afford few missteps. Like the House, the Senate GOP's majority is just three votes – and with all Democrats in both chambers prepared to vote against the legislation, Republicans are counting every vote. Roy told Fox News Digital he would support the bill on the House floor "if I understand what [the] Senate passed correctly." Burchett said, "I think so," when asked if he would vote for the bill, and Norman responded, "yes," when asked as well. Of the three, just Norman signed conservatives' letter warning, "In order to facilitate President Trump's voter mandate, the Senate must pass the entire $9.4 billion of spending cuts in the rescission bill. Weakening any of these provisions would undermine both his leadership and the discipline our budget urgently demands." The bill would cut roughly $8 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which deals federal grants to NPR and PBS. It's expected to come before the House Rules Committee sometime Thursday, the final gatekeeper before a chamber-wide vote. If the House passes it on Thursday or Friday, it heads to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
NPR CEO warns public broadcasting cuts could be "a real risk to the public safety of the country"
Before the Senate voted early Thursday morning to pass a rescissions package that includes major cuts to public broadcasting, National Public Radio President and CEO Katherine Maher warned, "defunding this is a real risk to the public safety of the country." "Public media, public radio, public television, are a critical part of the emergency response plans of nearly half of the states in this nation," Maher said in an interview with CBS News. "If these types of emergency alerting go away, you will have fewer outlets to be able to respond in real time" to future natural disasters. In June, the White House asked Congress to cancel $9.4 billion in appropriations that had previously been approved. The request, known as the rescissions package, passed in the House in mid-June and would cut roughly $8 billion from international assistance, including organizations like the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID. The Senate added an amendment to exempt $400 million in global health funding for PEPFAR, a program started during the Bush administration to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries. The revised package passed by a vote of 51-48, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats in voting against it. "My obligation is to my constituents and to the Constitution," Murkowski told reporters after voting against an earlier procedural vote Tuesday.. "So I look at the Constitution and say that it is … the legislative branch that has the power of the purse. I take that charge personally, and so I'm going to execute on it." In addition to the foreign assistance cuts, the package includes $1.1 billion in reductions for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the country. The legislation follows an executive order by President Trump in May directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, alleging partisan bias. "Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens," the order stated. Maher previously testified before a House subcommittee in March alongside PBS CEO Paula Kerger, where they defended their organizations from the accusations of bias. In her interview this week, Maher reiterated that NPR prioritizes stories that "directly speak to Americans' political interests and changing beliefs." "I take all criticism seriously, as I think any news organization should," Maher said. "And if there's a perception that we are not serving the full range of American political life, well we need to, we need to respond to that." Ahead of a Friday deadline, Mr. Trump urged Republicans to support the clawbacks or risk losing his support. "It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together," Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post this month, using a nickname designed to mock MSNBC. "Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement." Democratic and Republican senators have voiced concerns about cuts to public broadcasting, especially for those serving rural and Native communities. During Wednesday's vote-a-rama, Sen. Maria Cantwell warned that eliminating funding for CPB could endanger those who rely on radio for emergency information. "We're not just putting PBS at risk here, we're putting millions of Americans who depend on local media for life-saving information [at risk]," Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington state, said in a floor speech. "And what's in this rescission request is really making sure that public broadcasters don't have that ability, at least in 20 states where they have emergency plans." South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, a GOP holdout who initially expressed skepticism about the rescissions package, said this week he intends to support it after working with the White House to reallocate unused funding through the Department of the Interior to tribal stations. "It will keep them in operation. It will be for one year at a time," Rounds said. The rescissions package comes on the heels of the devastating July 4 floods on Texas' Guadalupe River, which left more than 130 dead and search efforts are still ongoing for more than 100 still unaccounted for. Since the tragedy, there have been questions about the efficiency of emergency alert systems — many of which, Maher said, rely on public broadcasting. Maher said communities in rural areas like that would feel the largest impacts of the funding cuts. She said some NPR stations receive "more than 50% of their budget" from federal funds and could face tough decisions, from staffing layoffs to potential station closures. WDIY, a public radio station in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, has a mix of news and musical programming that is produced by a staff of four along with a host of community volunteers. About 15% of its overall budget comes from CPB funding. "Losing that money would mean that we would have to make some serious decisions about do we carry NPR programming anymore because that money helps us pay for that programming," WDIY Executive Director Margaret McConnell told CBS News. Without those smaller stations producing area-specific news and media, Maher cautioned it could become more difficult for such communities to receive information usually provided through local radio. "We lose something fundamental as a nation if public media goes away," said Maher.
Fox News
13-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
From Washington: GOP Pushback On President Trump's Rescissions Package
President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' became law last week, solidifying his package of tax cuts and spending policies. Now, Senate Republicans are considering a $9.4 billion rescissions package to allow Congress to cut back on previously allocated funds. FOX News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram breaks down what's included in the rescissions package and where it stands ahead of its July 18th deadline. Later, he discusses Dr. Kevin O'Connor's testimony about President Biden's mental fitness, and the Butler, PA attempted assassination of President Trump one year later. This week, President Trump signed an Executive Order that extended a key tariff deadline and sent letters to various countries informing them of new reciprocal tariff rates. Although the new August 1st deadline allows for more time for the U.S. to form deals with trading partners, it also sparks uncertainty and concern among small businesses across the country. Executive Vice President, Chief Police Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy for the U.S. Chaber of Commerce Neil Bradley discusses how the Chamber is addressing the tariffs and how they're advocating for small businesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Fox News
04-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
White House sending $9.4B DOGE cuts package to Congress next week
The White House is expected to send a federal spending cut proposal to Congress next week, two Republican sources told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. It is the latest move by Republican officials to make good on promises to slash government spending, a project spearheaded by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The proposal is called a "rescissions package," a vehicle for the president to block funds that were already allocated by Congress in its yearly appropriations process. Once transmitted to Capitol Hill, lawmakers have 45 days to take it up before it's voided. An Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official told Fox News Digital the package is expected to total roughly $9.4 billion. It will primarily target federal funding to NPR, PBS and the U.S. Agency for International Development, the official said, confirming details first reported by Axios. A third GOP source told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders had asked the White House to wait until their chamber finished their consideration of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" to send its spending-cut package. The House passed the massive piece of tax-and-spending legislation last week after an all-night session of debate and procedural votes, sending it to the Senate for further consideration. That bill, which is being advanced under the budget reconciliation process, primarily deals with mandatory government funding that Congress must change by amending the law itself. A rescissions package targets discretionary government funding, which Congress sets the levels of every year in its annual appropriations process. The White House referred Fox News Digital to OMB when reached for comment. The package is expected to get to Congress just as Musk is beginning to step away from his role leading DOGE – but is apparently still keeping a close eye on governmental affairs. The billionaire tech founder criticized Republicans' "big, beautiful bill" on "CBS News Sunday Morning," saying in a preview clip that he was "disappointed" by it. "I think a bill can be big, or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both," Musk said. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., vowed the House would do more to codify DOGE cuts in a statement after Musk's message. "The House is eager and ready to act on DOGE's findings so we can deliver even more cuts to big government that President Trump wants and the American people demand. We will do that in two ways," Johnson wrote on X. "1. When the White House sends its rescissions package to the House, we will act quickly by passing legislation to codify the cuts. 2. The House will use the appropriations process to swiftly implement President Trump's 2026 budget. In the meantime, we have been working around the clock as we prepared for those processes. The House made sure to build on DOGE's success within the One Big Beautiful Bill." Musk's commentary, meanwhile, divided House Republicans on Wednesday. "This is why Mr. Musk has no place in Congress. He wants to codify discretionary cuts. He didn't find enough waste, fraud, and abuse to fund [the Small Business Administration], let alone reduce our debt," one House GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital. "This was a gimmick, he got used, he's now upset." Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., who voted "present" on the legislation last week, told Fox News Digital that he believed Musk was right. "I share Mr. Musk's concerns about the short-term adverse effect on the federal deficit of the limited spending reductions in the BBB. Debt markets remain concerned about US total debt and annual deficits," Harris said. The House is expected to begin working on fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations next week, though the rescission package deals with FY 2025 funding. Additionally, the 45-day deadline for that is not the only marker on the horizon – identical FY 2026 spending bills must pass the House and Senate by the end of the current fiscal year on September 30 to avert a partial government shutdown.
