U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recently addressed a full committee hearing regarding President's $9.4 billion rescissions package request. The session included testimony from Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as Senators Eric Schmitt and Brian Schatz.
Senator Collins highlighted the purpose of the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), which allows the President to propose rescissions but requires Congressional approval to cancel funding. She emphasized that this process is not the only method for Congress to manage rescissions, citing past instances where rescissions were included in legislative bills.
The proposed package includes significant cuts such as $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion from foreign assistance funds. Concerns were raised about unspecified impacts on programs like Global Health Programs and Economic Support Fund allocations to allies such as Jordan and Egypt.
Senator Collins expressed particular concern over a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a program launched in 2003 by former President George W. Bush that has saved millions of lives and aims to transition HIV/AIDS treatment to country ownership by 2030.
Additionally, she noted issues with eliminating advance appropriations for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports local stations across various communities.
Collins concluded by stressing the importance of bipartisan oversight on spending within the Appropriations Committee's jurisdiction, which currently accounts for 27% of federal spending but is projected to decrease in future years.
