Tuesday, July 15, 2025
All civic learning topics for this day
Today's Topics
Congressional Budget Act deadline triggers automatic rescission vote
By Friday at midnight, the Senate must act on President Trump’s request to rescind $9 billion in previously approved foreign aid and public broadcasting funding or release the funds under the Impoundment Control Act. OMB Director Russell Vought confirmed removal of PEPFAR cuts, shrinking the package from $9.4 billion. Majority Leader John Thune expects procedural votes this week to bypass a filibuster.
Merit Systems Protection Board reports 154,000 flee before reduction in force
After ordering mass‐layoff plans across 19 agencies in February, the Trump administration has scaled back cuts as tens of thousands accepted buyouts or early retirements. OPM Senior Adviser Noah Peters told a federal court on July 14 that several agencies will no longer proceed with planned staff reductions. The VA, which aimed to cut 80,000, will now reduce only 30,000 positions.
Supreme Court lifts injunction allowing RIF at Education Department
On July 14, 2025, a 6–3 Supreme Court majority lifted a district court injunction blocking Trump’s executive reorganization, allowing mass layoffs of nearly 1,400 Department of Education employees and the transfer of key functions to other agencies. Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent warned that the ruling grants the President unconstitutional power to ‘repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out.’
Budget reconciliation test vote splits GOP on foreign operations cuts
In a fast-tracked vote this week, the Senate will consider a Trump-backed rescissions package to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding without filibuster protection. Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski led a group of Republicans balking at cuts to PEPFAR and NPR/PBS, prompting Majority Leader John Thune to remove $400 million in HIV/AIDS relief funding to secure votes.
OMB Director Vought preserves PEPFAR after evangelical backlash
On July 15, OMB Director Russell Vought announced removal of PEPFAR funding from Trump’s rescission package—slashing it from $9.4 billion to $9 billion—as the Senate prepares a simple-majority vote to undo congressional spending on foreign aid and public media.
OPM data shows federal exodus undermines Schedule F implementation
On July 14, OPM Senior Adviser Noah Peters told federal court that after 260,000 resignations, buyouts, and early retirements, several agencies—including VA—will not proceed with planned mass layoffs. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency overhaul has been scaled back by the workforce exodus.
Roberts Court enables Education layoffs in 6-3 split along ideological lines
On July 14, 2025, the Supreme Court lifted a lower-court injunction in a 6–3 ruling, allowing the Trump administration to lay off nearly 1,400 Education Department employees and shift critical functions—like civil-rights enforcement and student loans—to other agencies without Congress’s approval.
GOP moderates Collins and Murkowski defy caucus on State Department cuts
President Trump’s request to claw back $9.4 billion from foreign aid and public broadcasting is heading to a Senate vote this week under a simple-majority rescissions process. Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have warned they may sink the fast-track bill unless amendments protect health and rural media programs.