Passage of the rescissions package sent over by President Donald Trump, codifying $9.4 billion worth of savings identified by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), drew mixed reactions from members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation.
“House Republicans were sent to Washington, D.C. with a trifecta and a mandate to restore sanity to the federal government and stand by President Trump, which is exactly what we did today by passing this rescissions package,” said U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-GA. “The Senate must act quickly to save valuable taxpayer dollars so we can begin putting these funds towards America First policies and deficit reduction, not woke, fiscally irresponsible nonsense.”
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-GA, also applauded the passage of H.R. 4: The Recissions Act of 2025 in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“This week, my colleagues and I passed the first of possibly several rescission bills, which eliminate wasteful government spending,” said Loudermilk. “This level of reckless and wasteful spending has been going on for years behind the backs of the American people and Congress. Fortunately, the Trump administration is shining light on the waste of taxpayer dollars, and Congress is now acting to make these cuts permanent.
“President Trump and congressional Republicans are clear that we are committed to putting America first and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our federal government,” Loudermilk added. “This vote marks a critical step toward restoring fiscal responsibility and refocusing our government on policies that serve the American people, not political agendas. I will continue working alongside my colleagues and President Trump to ensure that every dollar spent reflects the values and priorities of the voters who demanded a change.”
Loudermilk pointed out key funds to be rescinded by the Act.
● $833K for trans sex workers in Nepal
● $1.2 million for LGBTQI+ programs in Uganda and the Western Balkans
● $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street
● $500 million for Left-wing news agencies
● $2.5 million to teach kids eco-friendly reproductive health
● $500K for electric buses in Rwanda
● $6 million for “net zero cities” in Mexico
● $1 million to promote voter ID in Haiti
● $3 million for condoms and productive procedures in Zambia
But Georgia Democratic Congressman Sanford Bishop voted against the bill that he said “would take back $9.4 billion in funds that were already Congressionally approved and signed into law.” Among these funds, Bishop said, was $1.1 billion from public broadcasting.
“Since the beginning of this year, the Administration has been illegally impounding funds that they are obligated to distribute, and this bill would rubber-stamp these actions all while Republicans in Congress devise a way to redistribute this money as tax cuts to billionaires,” said Bishop. “It takes an axe to public broadcasting which jeopardizes coverage of local news, emergency information like severe weather alerts, and access to PBS KIDS children’s programming, like Sesame Street, for rural communities across America. It forces America to retreat from the world stage by gutting life-saving programs that help prevent pandemics, provide clean water, and gives American agricultural producers the opportunity to help prevent hunger around the world.”
Bishop also criticized other cuts, including, saying the bill eliminates $2.5 billion in development assistance abroad, including clean water, agricultural support, and food aid; $900 million in global health programs such as HIV/AIDS treatment, maternal health, and infectious disease control; and $800 million in refugee assistance, cutting support for displaced families worldwide.
