As expected, the White House Office of Management and Budget released its package of proposed rescissions earlier today. The list of programs targeted for cuts is available here. The package includes 38 items, totaling approximately $15 billion in cuts.
The biggest portion of the package, roughly $7 billion, would come from the Children Health Insurance Program and more than $4 billion would come come from the Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program.
The Administration has announced plans to end student loan debt collections contracts with Windham Professionals and Performant Financial Corp. The Education Department said it plans to develop a different approach to collecting defaulted student federal loans in its dismissal of the debt collections agencies. The Washington Post has more information.
The Trump Administration is expected to send to Congress a “rescission” package this week that would seek about $15 billion in cuts to already approved spending in prior years.
Unhappy about the size of the recently passed FY2018 omnibus spending bill, a group of House conservatives had asked the Administration to take steps to cancel or “rescind” parts of the spending package. While there is some receptivity to the proposal in the House, it is a non-starter in the Senate, in which Senators of both parties would oppose such a move.
In an attempt to placate the conservatives, the Administration is expected to send to Congress this week a package of proposed cuts from prior years, totaling approximately $15 billion. In order for the cuts to be adopted, Congress must agreed to them in 45 days. Although the exact contents of the package are currently unknown, it is believed that none of the programs funded by the omnibus bill would be affected.
Regardless of how Congress officially reacts to the the Administration proposal, the funds for the programs listed for rescission by the Administration would be “impounded,” or frozen, for 45 days.
The Office of Federal Relations will provide updates throughout this process.
The nomination of Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) for NASA Administrator moved forward earlier today after a Senator switched his vote. Initially, the vote to move the nomination forward stood tied at 49 to 49. After a number of conversations, Jeff Flake (R-AZ) changed his vote to a ‘yes’ to move forward on the nomination. The vote cut off debate on the nomination and sets up a final vote.