Rescissions Act of 2025
Key claim: The Rescissions Act of 2025 (Public Law 119-28) rescinds specified unobligated funds previously provided to the State Department, USAID, related independent agencies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Abstract
(HR4 · 119th Congress) Rescissions Act of 2025 This act rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), various independent and related agencies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The rescissions were proposed by the President under procedures included in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Under current law, the President may propose rescissions to Congress using specified procedures, and the rescissions must be enacted into law to take effect. Specifically, the act rescinds funds that were provided to the State Department or the President for Contributions to International Organizations; Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities; Global Health Programs (excluding funds for programs addressing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, or maternal and child health); Migration and Refugee Assistance; the Complex Crises Fund; the Democracy Fund; the Economic Support Fund (excluding funds for assistance to Jordan, Egypt, or the Countering PRC Influence Fund); Contributions to the Clean Technology Fund; International Organization and Programs; Development Assistance (excluding funds for Feed the Future Innovation Labs, the Countering PRC Influence Fund, or commodity-based food aid); Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia; International Disaster Assistance (excluding funds for commodity-based food aid); and Transition Initiatives. The act also rescinds funds that were provided for USAID Operating Expenses, the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Latest action (2025-07-24): Became Public Law No: 119-28.
Why this matters
The Rescissions Act of 2025 marks a successful use of formal Impoundment Control Act rescission authority to claw back previously appropriated but unobligated funds across foreign assistance, global health, refugee, climate-finance, and public broadcasting accounts. Its enactment sets a live precedent for using presidential rescission packages to reshape international-affairs and information-programs spending mid-cycle, with practical implications for State/USAID program continuity and CPB-funded public media.