From our friends at Hancock County Democrats:
Background: Rescissions are a special budgetary procedure, initiated by a request from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, that essentially cancels funds previously approved by Congress. This rescissions package requested by the Trump administration aims to codify DOGE’s cuts to public broadcasting, global health programs, and foreign aid funds totaling $9.4 billion. These cuts include:
●$1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which disburses funds to NPR and PBS, two media organizations commonly targeted by Trump for being “radical, woke propaganda.”
●$1.25 billion in funding to the Clean Technology Fund, which supports the development of low-carbon technologies in middle-income and developing countries.
●$900 million in funding to global health programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has been credited for saving millions of lives around the world.
●$200 million in contributions to international organizations like USAID. According to a UCLA analysis, USAID cuts may lead to more than 14 million deaths globally, including 4.5 million children under 5 by 2030.
●Billions more in U.S. foreign aid for international disasters, migration and refugee assistance, democracy, international peacekeeping, and economic development programs. These critical, life-saving programs for millions around the globe must be preserved.
Action: The Trump administration’s rescission package, H.R. 4, has passed in the House and now awaits a vote in the Senate where it will only need 50 votes to pass. Susan Collins is on the fence in voting to stop the Rescission Package. Her vote will be critical. As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, she spent time researching and approving these funds. It’s why we elected her. Why would she negate all her work and all our trust in her? Demand that Susan Collins refuse the Trump administration’s request to claw back these congressionally approved funds to codify ill-conceived DOGE cuts. Call Senator Susan Collins and urge her to oppose H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025. She has 6 offices – you and friends/family can call them all, one per day, starting now.
Contact: Senator Susan Collins: Email: www.collins.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-collins/form
(207) 622-8414 (Augusta office)
(207) 945-0417 (Bangor office)
(207) 493-7873 (Caribou office)
(207) 784-6969 (Lewiston office)
(207) 618-5560 (Portland office)
(202) 224-2523 (Washington DC office)
Urgency: H.R. 4 must pass both chambers by July 18th (Friday); if it fails, Trump cannot request these same rescissions again. Call every day this week.
