House Republicans passed H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, voting to rescind $9.4 billion of “wasteful spending” identified by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Republicans in Congress said the bill guts $8.3 billion in “radical, woke foreign aid” and $1.1 billion in taxpayer subsidies to the “left-wing” Corporation for Public Broadcasting. H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, introduced by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, codifies President Trump’s rescissions request to cut wasteful spending on foreign aid initiatives within the State Department and USAID and on woke public broadcasting at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, including NPR and PBS. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain managed floor debate and celebrated the political victory.
Republicans noted that H.R. 4 cuts $9.4 billion in wasteful spending, such as:
- $1 million for voter ID in Haiti
- $6 million for “Net Zero Cities” in Mexico
- $3 million for an Iraqi version of Sesame Street
- $2.1 million for “climate resilience” in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and East Africa
- $500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda
- $33,000 for “Being LGBTI in the Caribbean”
- $643,000 for LGBTQI+ programs in the Western Balkans
- $ 567,000 for LGBTQI+ programs in Uganda
- $3 million for circumcision, vasectomies, and condoms in Zambia
- $5.1 million to strengthen the “resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer global movements”
- $135 million in contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO)
- $8,000 for promoting vegan food in Zambia
- $67,000 for feeding insect powder to children in Madagascar
The Republican Party is also targeting vulnerable Democrats on the vote, including Central Florida Congressman Darren Soto. Calling the Florida Representative an “out of touch Democrat,” Republicans said Darren Soto voted to send taxpayer money around the globe for “things we don’t need, don’t want, and can’t afford.”
“Radical Democrat Darren Soto’s vote to protect funding for radical nonsense proves he’s putting his out of touch liberal wish list over Florida taxpayers,” NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole. “Voters are sick and tired of seeing their money bankroll his lunacy.”
“Today’s vote sends a clear message: House Republicans are putting American taxpayers first. This $9.4 billion is just the beginning,” said Republican Chairwoman Lisa McClain. “Americans didn’t send us here to fund insect powder in Madagascar or electric buses in Rwanda. We’re going line by line, rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, and keeping our promises to the American people.”
The bill complements the conservative party’s broader fiscal reforms in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process, codifies DOGE cuts, and delivers on President Donald Trump and House Republicans’ promises to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.
View the Rescissions Act of 2025 online.
Statements from Republican leaders like Lisa McClain reinforce the message that these cuts are about putting American citizens first and delivering on promises to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.