GOP in the House pass legislation to recoup billions from foreign aid and public media schemes

The House of Representatives has passed a measure on June 12, 2025, to rescind $9.4 billion in government funding, marking a significant step in the ongoing budget discussions.

The largest funding cuts in the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4) are directed towards development assistance ($2.5 billion) and the Economic Support Fund ($1.65 billion). The bill also claws back over $1 billion for global health programs and operating expenses at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The rescission measure targets Department of Government Efficiency cuts, particularly foreign assistance programs. This move has raised concerns among some lawmakers, with Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., stating that the rescissions measure is covering up the massive hole they are blowing in the deficit with tax giveaways for billionaires.

Democrats have accused Republicans of reneging on previously agreed upon spending levels and using the rescissions measure to offset the costs of their reconciliation package. The American Action Forum reported that the rescissions bill would amount to a 0.5% decrease in this year's projected budget deficit of $1.9 trillion.

The bill slashes nearly $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, potentially eliminating federal funding for NPR and PBS. Four Republican members voted against the legislation, with Amodei's objections being over the cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and predicting that changes would be made to the bill.

Amodei, along with other critics, has argued that the cuts could harm rural constituents' access to the rest of the world and news on the air. Trump issued an executive order in May 2025 to cease funding to news outlets like NPR and PBS, arguing they don't report the news in a fair, accurate, or unbiased manner.

The Trump administration is attempting to fold the U.S. Agency for International Development into the State Department. The search results do not provide information on which Democratic Congress member has expressed the strongest criticism of cutting funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., stated that the rescission is about putting Americans first. The Senate may not take up the measure until July, after considering the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) and a House-passed reconciliation bill. The rescission measure needs a simple majority in the Senate to pass, unlike the usual 60-vote threshold.