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June 4, 2025
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NTU urges all Members of Congress to vote “YES” on the first rescissions package that the second Trump Administration has sent to Congress. Eliminating these unneeded provisions would save taxpayers approximately $9.4 billion, and begin the process of locking in savings created by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It would also allow for Congress to reassert its role in the federal budget process and move away from leaving programs on autopilot for decades.
The second Trump Administration has sent its long-awaited first rescissions package to Congress. It contains 22 separate rescissions requests, the majority of which are partial reductions in funding to various government programs. As noted in a recent blog post by our National Taxpayers Union Foundation colleague Demian Brady, this proposal represents the first attempt by this administration to lock in spending reductions initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It targets government spending that is duplicative, inefficient, or wasteful. As the oldest taxpayer organization in the United States, NTU strongly recommends passage of this package.
The package essentially cuts programs from two general areas of the federal budget: foreign aid and support for international organizations, and direct federal support for domestic public broadcasting agencies. We strongly support the rescission of $1.1 billion in advance funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB). While many may have fond memories of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) shows like Sesame Street, both PBS and National Public Radio (NPR) have in recent years created content that appears to be ideologically biased. Most importantly, though, in an era of tight budgets and a need to restrain federal spending, there is not a good reason for the government to be funding such programming when the private sector is already doing it. The Trump Administration deserves praise from taxpayers for proposing an end to public broadcasting programs.
The proposed rescissions in non-emergency foreign aid and international program support reductions may encounter some resistance from members of Congress. While the American public clearly view foreign aid in general as wasteful and strongly support ending programs like USAID and others that support biased programming at the United Nations, great powers generally promote appropriate foreign aid programs that advance their interests. Soft power programs in strategic nations are far wiser and more effective for the American taxpayer than funding wars and expensive military programs, if planned and executed appropriately. Aid programs can increase demand for American products abroad, lower punitive trade barriers, support friendly governments, and improve and expand military partnerships over time. However, previous administrations have shifted many American foreign aid programs to serve their myopic political aims, with a good portion serving ideological goals. OMB has noted several egregious examples, including federal funding for “Net Zero” emissions cities in Mexico, funding for children’s programming in Iraq, and promotion of vegan and vegetarian diets in Africa. The priorities of administrations change over time and can shift dramatically when a new president enters the White House, but it is hard to envision why America should ever be funding controversial social policies in faraway foreign countries when we have trillions in federal debt here at home.
While we have been supportive of DOGE’s important work since the start of the second Trump Administration, Congress must approve and lock in cuts to federal spending. The Constitution gives the power of the purse to Congress, which is why rescission packages like this one are so important.
This rescissions package helps start a needed discussion on federal spending. Rather than allowing programs to be funded on autopilot for decades, Congress should take this opportunity to take proper control of the federal budget and make appropriate spending decisions for the taxpayer. We strongly urge Members to support this rescissions package.
Roll call votes on this legislation will be included in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress and “YES” votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Senior Policy Manager David Timmons at dtimmons@ntu.org