WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 50-48 to reject President Trump’s harmful rescission package that would have cancelled over $15 billion in previously appropriated federal funding from a variety of domestic programs, including: children’s health insurance, affordable housing, infrastructure investments, community service projects, and innovative Medicare and Medicaid and energy programs.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed, who serves on the Appropriations Committee, voted to reject the $15 billion claw back, stating that the proposal unfairly targeted working families and children in low-income households and could have jeopardized people’s access to health care and safe, affordable housing.

“I opposed this ill-advised rescissions package because it unfairly targets programs that impact working families and children in low-income households.  These short-sighted cuts could take away kid’s access to affordable health coverage.  The bill would also have reduced investments in affordable housing and effective community and economic development programs.  It would have meant fewer grants for Rhode Island and fewer opportunities for kids and families,” said Senator Reed.  “If the Trump Administration was serious about fiscal responsibility, it would retroactively rescind a portion of its massive, unpaid for and unsound tax cuts that are ballooning the deficit.  But these cuts only went after people’s access to health care, housing, and infrastructure investments without making any attempt to solve longstanding fiscal challenges.”

The Trump Administration’s proposed rescissions package included cuts to several critical programs, including: $7 billion from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); $5 billion from U.S. Department of Energy loan programs, $800 million from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation; $145 million for the U.S. Department of Transportation; $141 million from the Capital Magnet Fund (CMF); $150 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service; $50 million for Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations; nearly $38 million from the Public Housing Capital Fund; $30 million from the Economic Development Administration; $23 million from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund; $16 million in cuts targeting Land and Water Conservation Fund projects, and a variety of other programs.

All of the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts targeted domestic programs without making any attempt to rescind unused funds from the Department of Defense.

On June 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the rescission package on a narrow 210-206 vote, with 19 Republicans joining all House Democrats in opposing the bill. 

All 48 Senate Democrats opposed the measure, and were joined by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in rejecting it.  The measure only required a simple a majority to pass the U.S. Senate.