HR 4119th CongressBecame Law

Rescissions Act of 2025

Introduced: Jun 6, 2025

Economy & Taxes

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R.4) would implement the President’s June 3, 2025 special message proposing the rescission of budget authority under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. Specifically, it would immediately rescind a set of unobligated balances across a broad sweep of international aid and related programs, reducing available funds in dozens of accounts from the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, multilateral funds, and related areas. The bill also includes targeted carve-outs and protections for certain programs (notably health and nutrition programs, with some exceptions) and restricts rescissions from some specified programs or countries. In addition, the measure would rescind amounts currently allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. If enacted, these rescissions would reduce future spending authority in the specified accounts and take effect immediately upon enactment.

Key Points

1The act authorizes the rescissions proposed by the President in the June 3, 2025 special message, with the rescissions taking effect immediately upon enactment under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act.
2The rescissions cover numerous accounts, including: contributions to international organizations, peacekeeping activities, global health programs, migration and refugee assistance, complex crises funds, democracy and governance programs, economic assistance (various funds and initiatives), international disaster assistance, operating expenses at USAID, transition initiatives, and several independent agencies.
3Specific program protections and restrictions:
4- Prohibits rescinding funds from unobligated balances for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Nutrition, or Maternal and Child Health, with a caveat that this prohibition does not apply to family planning and reproductive health programs.
5- For certain paragraphs (notably the food aid-related provisions), none of the rescinded funds may affect the administration of commodity-based food aid programs like Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole Program.
6- Paragraph 9 contains a protection against rescinding funds used for assistance to Jordan, Egypt, or the Countering PRC Influence Fund.
7- Paragraph 12 and Paragraph 14 (Development Assistance and Economic Support Funds) include restrictions related to food aid programs.
8A substantial portion of the rescissions come from unobligated balances totaling roughly $7.9 billion across various accounts, plus additional uncited amounts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for FY2026 and FY2027.
9In addition to foreign aid and international programs, the bill explicitly rescinds funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for FY2026 and FY2027.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- U.S. international aid and diplomacy: funding for international organizations, peacekeeping, global health, humanitarian relief, and development programs would be reduced by the specified unobligated balances.Secondary group/area affected:- Recipients and partners of U.S. foreign assistance (countries, international organizations, NGOs, and multilateral institutions) would experience reduced access to support, depending on which accounts’ unobligated balances are rescinded.- U.S. public broadcasting sector: funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be reduced for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.Additional impacts:- Budgetary and policy signal: this action reflects a shift in foreign aid spending priorities and a reallocation of available budget authority.- Operational implications: since rescissions target unobligated balances, ongoing obligations and contracts already in progress could be affected only to the extent import limits or planned allocations are reduced; many programs would still operate under remaining appropriations.- International perception and relations: broad reductions in international contributions and peacekeeping funds could influence the United States’ standing with allies and international partners.Unobligated balances: funds that have been appropriated but not yet committed to a specific program or contract. Rescinding unobligated balances reduces the amount of money available for future obligations in those accounts.Impoundment Act mechanism: Congress can approve Presidentially proposed rescissions via a special message, allowing Congress to identify which unobligated funds may be cut and to enact them into law.

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