However, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told reporters it will no longer include a plan to cut funds designated for PEPFAR, a global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, bringing the size of the package of cuts to $9 billion from $9.4 billion.
The Senate has until Friday to act on the rescissions package, originally a request to claw back $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. Otherwise, the request will expire and the White House will be required to adhere to spending plans passed by Congress.
The amounts at stake are extremely small in the context of the sprawling federal budget, which totaled $6.8 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30. Yet the proposed cuts have raised the hackles of Democrats and a handful of Republicans who saw an attempt to erode Congress’s Constitutionally mandated authority over spending.
Critics of the cuts said the amounts of money involved were small but funded essential programs that should not be cut.
Trump has threatened to withhold his endorsement from any member of Congress who does not vote for the measure without changes.
Standalone presidential rescissions packages have not passed in years, with lawmakers reluctant to cede their constitutionally mandated control of government spending. During Trump’s first term in 2018, Congress members rejected Trump’s request to revoke $15 billion in spending.
The rescissions legislation passed the House by 214-212 last month. Four Republicans joined 208 Democrats in voting against it.
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, had said she opposed Trump’s request to cut funding for the global programs to fight HIV/AIDS.
“How are we supposed to negotiate a bipartisan deal if Republicans will turn around and put it through the shredder in a partisan vote?” asked Senator Patty Murray from Washington, the top Democrat on the appropriations committee.
- Reuters
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