A White House proposal for Republicans to cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved spending has created a new conflict in Congress, threatening to disrupt the typically bipartisan government funding process ahead of a September 30 deadline.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has warned that Democrats will not support a new government funding agreement if the GOP advances President Donald Trump’s rescissions request. The move raises the stakes for a potential government shutdown, just months after Senate Democrats faced backlash for backing down in a previous funding dispute.
“If Republicans cave to Donald Trump and gut these investments agreed to by both parties, that would be an affront — a huge affront — to the bipartisan appropriations process,” Schumer stated. He called it “absurd” to expect Democratic cooperation on future funding if Republicans use a partisan process to “renege on a bipartisan agreement.”
The conflict stems from a procedural rule in the Senate. While funding the government requires a 60-vote supermajority to overcome a filibuster, a separate and rarely used process allows for spending cancellations—or rescissions—with a simple majority vote.
The proposed rescissions package, which narrowly passed the House 214-212 last month, would cut $8.3 billion in foreign aid and $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The measure originated from the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to identify savings.
While Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate, passage is not guaranteed. Some GOP senators have expressed reservations, and any changes they make would require the bill to return to the House. Congress faces a July 18 deadline to send the legislation to the president’s desk before it expires.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he would bring the rescissions package to the floor for a vote with an open amendment process next week. He expressed disappointment in Schumer’s “implicit threat to shut down the government,” adding he was hopeful the two parties could still pass bipartisan appropriations bills.
However, several Republicans have voiced concerns that passing the cuts along party lines would undermine the traditional funding process.
“If you do appropriations in the Senate, you have 60 votes to support it. If you do rescissions, you can take it back with 50, which then makes it tougher to get a bipartisan agreement on an appropriations package,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Rounds also noted the measure must be revised to protect rural broadcast stations, which he said would lose 90% or more of their resources. “The Office of Management and Budget has agreed to work with us, and now we’re in that process of finding the appropriate path forward,” he said.
Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, also stated the bill “needs some significant changes.” She specifically questioned cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program she said she “can’t imagine why we would want to” cut.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he is inclined to support the measure but is still reviewing its potential impact on national security.
Experts and some lawmakers warn that the Republican strategy could set a dangerous precedent.
“Moving forward, it’s our job in the next few days to make sure that Republicans know that this would be a major trust factor,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
Bobby Kogan, a former Senate Democratic budget aide now at the Center for American Progress, argued the move risks breaking the appropriations system. “If you can break bipartisan appropriations deals with partisan rescissions packages, that is going to be the end of bipartisan appropriations,” he said, warning it could lead to more frequent government shutdowns.
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