After Trump’s megabill, new headache for Republicans: Rescission bill to approve $9.4 bn Doge cuts

After securing passage of their sweeping “megabill,” Republicans are now bracing for their next legislative challenge, passing a rescission package that would cancel $9.4 billion in previously approved spending. The proposed cuts pushed by President Donald Trump and championed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, target funding for public broadcasting, foreign aid and global health programs.

The Senate is expected to vote on the package as early as next week, just ahead of the July 18 deadline. If lawmakers fail to act in time, the administration will be legally required to disburse the funds as initially appropriated. But rallying support for the rescissions bill is proving difficult even within Republican ranks

Among those voicing concern is Senator Susan Collins, a senior Republican appropriator who played a key role in derailing a similar Trump-led rescissions effort in 2018. At a recent hearing with White House budget chief Russ Vought, Collins criticised proposed cuts to PEPFAR, a widely supported global AIDS initiative, calling them “extraordinarily ill-advised.” She has since hinted at drafting an alternative package that avoids gutting health and humanitarian aid.

Several other Republicans have also pushed back, particularly over the proposal to slash funding for NPR and PBS. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Mike Rounds of South Dakota have expressed concern about the impact on rural broadcasting. Sullivan is reportedly working on an amendment to protect services for remote communities.

The rescissions debate comes at a critical time for Congress, as lawmakers begin their annual appropriations process. The Senate will begin marking up its first spending bills this week with a looming September 30 deadline to fund the government. Party leaders are eager to avoid another massive year-end omnibus package or a short-term funding patch, but the upcoming August recess will cost them four weeks of negotiation time.

The House, meanwhile, has made some headway. It has passed one appropriations bill and advanced four others from committee, with House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole aiming to complete all 12 by July 30. Still, signs of deepening partisanship persist. The veterans’ affairs funding bill, historically one of the least controversial passed with support from just two Democrats, highlighting the challenge ahead for Republicans who cannot afford to lose more than three votes on partisan bills.

As the GOP celebrates one legislative victory, it now faces a fresh test of party unity, one that could determine how far it can go in reshaping federal spending under the Trump-era agenda.