Jayapal Statement on GOP Rescissions Package
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement regarding the Republican rescissions package, which passed the House of Representatives 214-212.
“A rescission package means going back on your word. Let me be clear: Congress and Congress alone has the power to appropriate funding. What is happening here is that Donald Trump and Elon Musk took illegal actions to cut Congressionally appropriated funding, so now Trump’s minions in Congress are going back and cleaning up for him. This is a thinly veiled attempt to sidestep court orders that have demanded the Trump Administration reinstate illegally gutted funding.
“The cuts to USAID have already killed an estimated 300,000 people around the world and are undermining the United States’ global leadership. This is funding for food and medicine for children, maternal health care programs, and for clinics that treat survivors of gender-based violence. It accounts for less than one percent of our federal spending and stops diseases before they reach our border, and helps to stabilize countries, preventing conflict before it starts.
“And the cuts to public broadcasting are a direct attack on free press in this country. In many rural communities, these stations are the only reliable sources of local news, critical weather alerts, and educational programming for kids. These stations not only keep people informed but also employ thousands of people in communities across the country.
“These cuts are not only bad for the American people but further erode our checks and balances in this country and the powers of Congress defined in the Constitution. Trump’s yes-men are rubber stamping his agenda and cutting away at the fabric of our democracy in doing so.”
Issues: Arts & Education, Foreign Affairs & National Security