HR 4 · 119th Congress · Enacted as 119-28

Newsworthy

Rescissions Act of 2025

foreign aid cutspublic broadcasting fundingUSAIDfederal budget rescissionsinternational assistance

Last action 2025-07-24

Sponsored by Rep. Scalise, Steve [R-LA-1] (R) — LA

Click any stage to learn more about the legislative process.

The Rescissions Act of 2025 cancels roughly $9 billion in previously appropriated but unspent federal funds, mostly from foreign aid, international broadcasting, and diplomacy programs, following a formal rescission request from the President.

It eliminates funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, USAID operations, international organizations, and multiple foreign assistance accounts, marking one of the largest uses of the formal budget rescission process in recent years.

What this law does

What it does

The act rescinds specific unobligated balances of previously appropriated federal funds, acting on a rescission package the President formally proposed to Congress on June 3, 2025 under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The rescinded funds primarily come from State Department and USAID accounts, including contributions to international organizations and peacekeeping, global health programs, migration and refugee assistance, the Democracy Fund, the Economic Support Fund, development assistance, and disaster assistance. It also eliminates funding for the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and future fiscal year funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The act carves out exceptions within several accounts, protecting funds for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, and maternal and child health programs, assistance to Jordan and Egypt, the Countering PRC Influence Fund, Feed the Future Innovation Labs, and commodity-based food aid programs like Food for Peace. The rescissions took effect immediately upon enactment on July 24, 2025, and apply only to the specific unobligated balances listed rather than to entire programs going forward.

Key provisions

1Rescinds unobligated balances for U.S. contributions to international organizations and international peacekeeping activities from two fiscal years' appropriationsSec. 2(b)(1)-(4)
2Rescinds $500 million from Global Health Programs while protecting funds for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, and maternal and child healthSec. 2(b)(5)
3Rescinds $800 million in Migration and Refugee Assistance fundingSec. 2(b)(6)
4Rescinds $1.65 billion from the Economic Support Fund, excluding assistance to Jordan, Egypt, and the Countering PRC Influence FundSec. 2(b)(9)
5Rescinds $2.5 billion from Development Assistance, excluding Feed the Future Innovation Labs, the Countering PRC Influence Fund, and commodity-based food aidSec. 2(b)(12)
6Rescinds funding for the Inter-American Foundation, U.S. African Development Foundation, and U.S. Institute of PeaceSec. 2(b)(17)-(19)
7Rescinds Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding appropriated for fiscal years 2026 and 2027Sec. 2(b)(20)

Who is affected

Federal agencies including the State Department, USAID, the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, and the U.S. Institute of Peace; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the public broadcasting stations it funds; and recipients of U.S. foreign aid, international health, refugee assistance, and development programs abroad.

Why it matters

Agencies lose access to billions in funds they had already been allocated but not yet spent, forcing cuts or cancellations to foreign aid programs, international organization contributions, and public broadcasting funding. Because the cuts target unobligated balances directly, affected programs cannot draw on this money even though Congress had previously approved it.

What changed

Changes to existing law

Amends Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47) (Sec. 2(b))

Rescinds unobligated balances previously appropriated for international organizations, peacekeeping, and Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding

Amends Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4) (Sec. 2(b))

Rescinds unobligated balances across numerous foreign aid, development, and broadcasting accounts appropriated under this act

Amends Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Sec. 2(a))

Implements a presidential rescission request made under this act's section 1012 procedures, enacting the proposed rescissions into law

Agencies directed to act

Department of StateU.S. Agency for International DevelopmentInter-American FoundationU.S. African Development FoundationU.S. Institute of PeaceCorporation for Public Broadcasting

Effective dates

The rescissions described in the actSec. 2(a)Upon enactment

Funding and costs

$33,008,764
Rescinded from Contributions to International Organizations (FY2024 act)Sec. 2(b)(1)
$168,837,230
Rescinded from Contributions to International Organizations (2025 continuing appropriations)Sec. 2(b)(2)
$203,328,007
Rescinded from Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (FY2024 act)Sec. 2(b)(3)
$157,906,000
Rescinded from Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (2025 continuing appropriations)Sec. 2(b)(4)
$500,000,000
Rescinded from Global Health Programs, excluding HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, and maternal/child healthSec. 2(b)(5)
$800,000,000
Rescinded from Migration and Refugee AssistanceSec. 2(b)(6)
$43,000,000
Rescinded from the Complex Crises FundSec. 2(b)(7)
$83,000,000
Rescinded from the Democracy FundSec. 2(b)(8)
$1,650,000,000
Rescinded from the Economic Support Fund, excluding Jordan, Egypt, and Countering PRC Influence FundSec. 2(b)(9)
$125,000,000
Rescinded from the Contribution to the Clean Technology FundSec. 2(b)(10)
$436,920,000
Rescinded from International Organizations and ProgramsSec. 2(b)(11)
$2,500,000,000
Rescinded from Development Assistance, excluding Feed the Future Innovation Labs, Countering PRC Influence Fund, and commodity food aidSec. 2(b)(12)
$460,000,000
Rescinded from Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central AsiaSec. 2(b)(13)
$496,000,000
Rescinded from International Disaster Assistance, excluding commodity food aidSec. 2(b)(14)
$125,000,000
Rescinded from USAID Operating ExpensesSec. 2(b)(15)
$57,000,000
Rescinded from Transition InitiativesSec. 2(b)(16)
$27,000,000
Rescinded from the Inter-American FoundationSec. 2(b)(17)
$22,000,000
Rescinded from the U.S. African Development FoundationSec. 2(b)(18)
$15,000,000
Rescinded from the U.S. Institute of PeaceSec. 2(b)(19)
such amounts as were appropriatedFY2026-FY2027
Rescinds Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027Sec. 2(b)(20)

Congressional Budget Office estimate

CBO estimates that H.R. 4 would rescind discretionary appropriations requested by the President under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, reducing previously enacted discretionary spending.

H.R. 4 would rescind (cancel) previously enacted discretionary appropriations — that is, congressionally approved spending that is not mandatory — in line with a Presidential rescission request submitted under section 1012(a) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. CBO's June 9, 2025 cost estimate scores the bill as posted on the House Rules Committee website on June 6, 2025. Because the bill cancels already-enacted discretionary budget authority, it would reduce outlays (actual spending) relative to current law, thereby improving the deficit outlook over the relevant scoring period. The estimate does not identify any new direct (mandatory) spending or revenue changes, and CBO did not identify intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.

View the full CBO cost estimate

How it works

The act directly cancels specified unobligated balances by amount and appropriations account, taking effect immediately upon enactment rather than requiring rulemaking. Affected agencies must adjust their spending plans since the listed funds are no longer available for obligation. Several provisos direct that carve-out programs (such as HIV/AIDS treatment, Food for Peace, and assistance to Jordan and Egypt) remain unaffected within accounts that are otherwise reduced, requiring agencies to distinguish protected from rescinded balances within the same appropriations heading.

Legislative status & sources

Latest action

Became Public Law No: 119-28.

2025-07-24

Official CRS summary

Show the CRS summary

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.

From the Congressional Research Service.

Legislative subjects

Abortion; Adult education and literacy; Advanced technology and technological innovations; Africa; African Development Foundation; Agricultural education; Agricultural research; Area studies and international education; Asia; Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies; Caribbean area; Child health; Climate change and greenhouse gases; Coal; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Credit and credit markets; Department of State; Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad; Disaster relief and insurance; Economic development; Economics and Public Finance; Education programs funding; Elementary and secondary education; Energy storage, supplies, demand; Europe; Executive agency funding and structure; Family planning and birth control; Farmland; Financial literacy; Food assistance and relief; Foreign aid and international relief; Foreign and international banking; Forests, forestry, trees; Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management; Government trust funds; HIV/AIDS; Health facilities and institutions; Health programs administration and funding; Health promotion and preventive care; Human rights; Immunology and vaccination; Infectious and parasitic diseases; Infrastructure development; Inter-American Foundation; International exchange and broadcasting; International organizations and cooperation; Israel; Livestock; Medical education; Motor vehicles; Multilateral development programs; Nutrition and diet; Oil and gas; Policy sciences; Reconstruction and stabilization; Refugees, asylum, displaced persons; Rural conditions and development; Sex and reproductive health; Sexually transmitted diseases; Small business; U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); U.S. Institute of Peace; United Nations; Veterinary medicine and animal diseases; Water quality; Women in business; Women's health; World health

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