| Hello John, We’ve talked a lot the past few months about the “budget reconciliation” process that Congress is using to pass President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” which will renew the tax cuts enacted in 2017. But there is another process that you’ll soon be hearing a lot about as well – the rescissions process. It is this process that President Trump will use to try to stop wasteful spending that Congress has already approved. Like reconciliation, rescissions bills are not subject to the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a Senate filibuster – they only require a simple majority. Last week, the White House sent Congress a $9.4 billion rescissions package. The package includes: - $8.3 billion in cuts to foreign aid.
- $1.1 billion in funding reductions for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service
This is a crucial opportunity to address wasteful spending. An op-ed in the Daily Caller by my colleague Kurt Couchman outlines the importance of cutting wasteful Washington spending. I encourage you to read it all. Kurt writes, “Republicans have a golden opportunity to remake the federal government into a limited and responsible steward of the American people’s interests.” This rescissions package, according to Kurt, is “proof of concept” that cutting wasteful spending is not only possible but necessary for Americans’ prosperity and self-governance. What’s at stake? The U.S. Government is borrowing about $2 trillion every year, and our current national debt is more than $36 trillion. Our current fiscal trajectory is unsustainable. Better economic growth can help reduce deficits, but the only surefire way is to reduce spending. We need to start … NOW! What experts are saying Maya MacGuineas, president of the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said, “Rescissions requests used to be fairly common, and hopefully they will be again. While $9.4 billion may be small in the context of $7 trillion of annual spending, this practice can help build muscle memory and encourage policymakers to tackle the larger spending programs in the future.” Why act now? If this rescissions package is approved, the Trump administration is expected to propose even more cuts. Russ Vought, head of the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, said he views this rescissions package as a test vote, saying, “I want to make sure that they [Congress] take the first tranche, and see if it passes.” Take Action I know what you’re thinking: Cutting $9.4 billion from a $7 trillion budget should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. President Trump asked Congress to rescind funds in 2018, and that request failed by one vote in the Senate. Historically, rescissions votes are successful roughly a third of the time. And with Republican majorities so slim in both the House and Senate, this will not be an easy call. But we have an ace in the hole: You. Grassroots conservatives have the power to hold their elected officials accountable. So please, contact your representatives in Washington and tell them to approve President Trump’s rescissions package. The House may vote on the measure this week, so time is of the essence. Let your elected representatives know you support President Trump’s rescissions request! | 
