Congress Claws Back Funding Amid White House Calls for “More Partisan” Budget Process

Congress cleared the Trump Administration’s rescissions package, clawing back $9.4 billion in appropriated funding. That includes about $8 billion meant for foreign aid and $1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds entities like National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

The bill awaits President Trump’s signature. 

The House cleared the bill on a 216-213 vote, with two Republicans Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and Mike Turner (OH) joining all Democrats in opposition. Earlier the Senate cleared the cuts with two Republicans joining Democrats in opposition to the final package. 

While Republicans say the package was necessary to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, Democrats saw it differently. 

“Since taking office, the Trump administration has stolen funds appropriated by Congress, passed by Republicans and Democrats in the House and in the Senate and signed into law by the president, upending the separation of powers and our constitutional order,” said Representative Rose DeLauro (D-CT), Appropriations Committee Ranking Member. 

However, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought says more rescissions packages are likely in the pipeline. 

“I think it's likely you'll see an additional package,” said Director Vought. “In terms of seeing whether this was a useful effort that was not a waste of time, it certainly has satisfied that threshold.”

Call for “More Partisan” Budget Process 

Meanwhile, the OMB Director is making additional headlines for his calls for the congressional budget process to be more partisan, clouding prospects for passing the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget. At a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Director Vought said he wants to change the paradigm of appropriations bills and break the cycle of continuous stopgaps. 

“There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said, ‘I’m voting for a bipartisan appropriations process,’” said Director Vought. “That may be the view of something that appropriators want to maintain.”

Director Vought also said he’s willing to negotiate with Democrats if they conduct themselves with decorum.

The comments rankled Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said it shows that Director Vought “disrespects” the appropriations process, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was outraged. 

“Donald Trump should fire Russell Vought immediately, before he destroys our democracy and runs the country into the ground," said Senator Schumer. 

Fight Over Education Funds

And in the latest test over the power of the purse, ten Republican senators wrote to OMB Director Vought over the withholding of education money.

The letter comes after states were notified that $6.8 billion in appropriated K-12 education funds are being withheld past an early July distribution date and will not be available for the coming academic year. The explanation stated that the appropriations were “under review.” 

"The decision to withhold this funding is directly contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,” the Republican senators wrote.