Rescissions explained: How Trump and Congress aim to claw back billions in spending

Republicans in Congress are gearing up for a major battle over spending cuts as the Trump administration sends a rescissions request to Capitol Hill. The request aims to trim $9.4 billion from public broadcasting and foreign aid programs, which were targeted in President Trump’s DOGE reviews. This move comes after the Big, Beautiful Bill, which fell short of expectations in terms of spending reductions.

Rescissions legislation is essentially a way for Congress to claw back money it has previously allocated, a reverse appropriation of sorts. The goal is to cancel out some of the discretionary spending that Congress has approved in order to reduce the budget deficit. While the Big, Beautiful Bill focused on discretionary spending, the majority of federal spending is tied to mandatory programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

House Republicans are hoping to push through the rescissions package with a simple majority vote in both the House and the Senate. The Senate only needs 51 votes to begin the process, making it easier to pass compared to other legislative measures. However, some Republicans are hesitant about the proposed cuts, especially when it comes to programs like PBS, NPR, and PEPFAR.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are now faced with a tough decision. Will they approve the rescissions package and trim wasteful spending, or will they risk alienating their constituents by cutting popular programs? The coming weeks will reveal whether Republicans can follow through on their promises to reduce government spending and tackle the budget deficit. It’s a high-stakes game of political maneuvering, and the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the future of fiscal policy in the United States.