July 19, 2025

Speaker Johnson delivers narrow 216-213 rescission victory

Nine-billion-dollar rescission returns spending power to Congress

📜Constitutional Law🏛️Government🏢Legislative Process

The House passed the Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4) on Jul. 18, 2025, by a 216-213 vote. Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Turner voted with all Democrats against the bill. Speaker Mike Johnson personally convinced wavering members to flip their votes.

The Senate passed its amended version on Jul. 17, 2025, by a 51-48 vote after a 13-hour vote-a-rama. Vice President JD Vance cast two tie-breaking votes to advance the bill. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were the only Republicans to vote no.

Senate Republicans removed $400 million in proposed cuts to PEPFAR, the HIV/AIDS program, after internal objections threatened passage. The final bill rescinded $7.9 billion from foreign aid and $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

President Trump signed the bill into law on Jul. 24, 2025 (Public Law 119-28). This marked the first successful presidential rescission under the Impoundment Control Act since 1992.

CPB announced on Aug. 1, 2025 it would wind down operations and formally voted to dissolve on Jan. 5, 2026, ending 58 years of federal support for public broadcasting. Rural stations dependent on CPB funding faced immediate closure.

📜Constitutional Law🏛️Government🏢Legislative Process

Test Your Knowledge

The 2025 rescission package marked the first presidential-requested rescission enacted in over 25 years.

Which event occurred on July 18, 2025, in the rescission process?

On what date did President Trump submit the formal rescission request under the Impoundment Control Act?

In the context of the 2025 rescissions package, what does a "rescissions package"refer to?

Fill in the blanks: The House passed the original H.R. 4 rescissions bill on ___ targeting ___ federal accounts.

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People, bills, and sources

Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House

Steve Scalise

House Majority Leader

JD Vance

Vice President

Susan Collins

Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee

Lisa Murkowski

Senator, Alaska

Tom Cole

Chair, House Appropriations Committee

Rosa DeLauro

Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee

Brian Fitzpatrick

Representative, Pennsylvania

Mike Turner

Representative, Ohio

What you can do

practicing

For public broadcasters: prepare immediate budget cuts and contingency plans.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting was forward-funded and those amounts end on Oct. 1. Stations should model scenarios for a funding gap and prioritize essential services now.

civic action

Contact your member of Congress to report local impacts and seek relief.

Call or email your representative and both senators and ask them to press for reversal or targeted fixes for affected programs. Point to concrete harms such as station layoffs or lost services in your community.

learning more

Monitor federal implementation and analysis by oversight offices.

Watch for guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and for CBO and GAO reports that spell out timing and program impact. Use those reports to refine advocacy and to request more information from agencies.