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 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.
As expected, with the resignation of Thad Cochran (R-MS), Richard Shelby (R-AL) has officially taken over the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Along with the top spot on the full committee, Sen. Shelby has also assumed the gavel of the Defense Subcommittee, which was also led by Cochran before his resignation.
The vacancy in the top spot on the Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee created by Shelby’s move to Defense has been filled by Jerry Moran (R-KS).
Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was appointed to fill the remainder of Cochran’s term by the governor of Mississippi, has taken his seat on the full committee.
After surprising most of Washington with a last minute tweet this morning threatening to veto the FY2018 omnibus spending bill, President Trump ultimately signed it into law this afternoon. As the last minute hurdles were being cleared on the Hill earlier this week, White House staff had assured Congressional Republicans that Trump would support the measure.
Earlier today, the President tweeted that he might veto the bill because it did not address the DACA issue and did not fully fund the border wall that he had wanted. Ultimately, he was persuaded to sign it to avoid a government shutdown.
A few hours after House did its part, the Senate cleared the FY2018 omnibus spending package by a vote of 65 – 32. President Trump has signaled that he will sign the measure, avoiding a shutdown, which would occur if it were not signed into law before midnight tonight.