Senator Collins’ Opening Statement at Hearing on President’s Rescissions Package Request
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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following opening statement at a full Committee hearing with Director of Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought to review the President’s $9.4 billion rescissions package request:
“We convene today to review the special message transmitted on June 3rd by the President under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). That message proposes to rescind $9.4 billion in previously appropriated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion for foreign assistance.
“Testifying on this measure will be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought. Director Vought, we thank you for being with us here today.
“We will also receive testimony from Senator Eric Schmitt, who introduced the rescissions legislation, as well as from a Committee member, Senator Brian Schatz.
“The ICA was enacted in the 1970s to protect Congress’ constitutional authority with regard to spending. It provides guardrails to ensure that appropriations laws are enforced, while also creating a framework for the President to work collaboratively with Congress to prevent unnecessary expenditures.
“Under the ICA, the President can propose rescissions, but funding can only be cancelled through an act of Congress.
“I want to emphasize that the process provided in the ICA is neither the only nor the primary way for Congress to effectuate rescissions. This Committee regularly includes rescissions in its bills. The recent year-long continuing resolution, for example, included nearly 70 rescissions totaling billions of dollars.
“Turning now to the June 3rd message, I look forward to learning more about the on-the-ground impacts of the package, as several of the proposed rescissions do not specify which programs would be subject to reductions within the overall account.
“For example, the message proposes a $500 million cut to the Global Health Programs (GHP) account, but it does not indicate whether life-saving programs like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, would be affected. This amount is on top of program terminations and suspensions pursued as part of the Administration’s foreign assistance review and reorganization of USAID. I’m hoping that OMB will clarify the total amount of GHP funding that has been halted.
“Similarly, the message does not indicate whether aid to key allies like Jordan and Egypt would be reduced as part of the $1.65 billion proposed rescission from the Economic Support Fund.
“The majority of the proposed rescissions to foreign assistance are from fiscal year 2025 funds. The proposed rescissions for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are from advance appropriations provided for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
“What this means is that this rescissions package, for the most part, has nothing to do with the lengthy list of questionable activities identified by the Administration that were paid for with prior year funds.
“I certainly agree that the taxpayers of the United States should not be paying for things like ‘promoting vegan food in Zambia.’ However, these and other controversial and questionable projects were the product of misguided priorities of the Biden Administration. Unless the current Administration plans to continue these controversial projects that it has identified, which I very much doubt, those projects alone cannot be used to justify the proposed rescissions. I am confident that the Trump Administration would not allow this kind of wasteful spending.
“I do want to note two areas of particular concern to me. The first is the proposed $400 million rescission of funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, better known as PEPFAR. Launched in 2003 by former President George W. Bush, PEPFAR has saved more than 26 million lives and enabled 7.8 million babies to be born HIV-free to mothers living with HIV.
“This program remains a bipartisan priority of Congress. After years of commitment and stable investment, the finish line is in sight. The United States has the tools to fulfill PEPFAR’s mission and get the job done, while transitioning HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention to country ownership by the year 2030.
“Cutting funding now—funding that is aimed at preventing disease transmission—would be extraordinarily ill-advised and shortsighted.
“The second area I want to highlight is the proposed elimination of advance appropriations to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The vast majority of this funding—more than 70 percent—actually flows to local television and radio stations. In Maine, this funding supports everything from emergency communications in rural areas to coverage of high school basketball championships and a locally produced high school quiz show.
“Nationally produced television programs, such as ‘Antiques Road Show’ and ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,’ are also enjoyed by many throughout our country.
“I understand, however, the concern about subsidizing the national radio news programming that for years has had a discernibly partisan bent. There are, however, more targeted approaches to addressing that bias at NRP than rescinding all of the funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
“Before I conclude, I want to point out that this Committee conducts significant, bipartisan oversight on spending. It is a responsibility that that we take seriously. Part of being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars means having the information we need to make spending decisions. Delayed budgets, missing details, and omitted spend plans make the federal budget less transparent and less accountable to the people and their elected representatives.
“Finally, I want to note that the spending under the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee, which now makes up just 27 percent of the federal budget, is projected to decline to about one-fifth of annual spending in coming years.”
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