Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is warning of a looming budget crisis if Senate Republicans move forward with a Trump-backed $9.4 billion package of spending cuts.
In a sharply worded letter to fellow Democrats on Tuesday, Schumer called the GOP’s rescissions package a “partisan stunt” that could unravel fragile bipartisan negotiations ahead of a September government funding deadline.
“Republicans pushing this proposal are undermining the very programs they agreed to fund. It’s absurd to expect Democrats to negotiate in good faith on future spending while the GOP is trying to gut the deal from the back door,” Schumer wrote.
Trump-Aligned Cuts Face Mixed Reaction in Senate
The rescissions package narrowly passed the House last month and would roll back over $8 billion in U.S. foreign aid and more than $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). It stems from recommendations by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency — a new federal office once led by tech mogul Elon Musk — and has been praised by fiscal hawks.
But despite the bill’s momentum in the Senate, not all Republicans are on board.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, expressed deep concerns about slashing funds from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and CPB. She warned the proposed reductions to global health programs were “extraordinarily shortsighted.”
A High-Stakes September Showdown
The Senate’s decision on the cuts could have major implications for the broader budget fight expected this fall. Without a new funding agreement or short-term extension, the government could face a shutdown. Passing a dozen separate appropriations bills would require bipartisan cooperation — something Schumer says the rescissions package threatens to sabotage.
Under the Impoundment Control Act, rescission proposals must be voted on within 45 days and require only a simple majority in both chambers. If approved, the GOP-backed bill would roll back programs negotiated as part of previous bipartisan agreements.
‘Bait-and-Poison,’ Not Compromise, Schumer Says
“This is beyond a bait-and-switch — it’s a bait-and-poison-to-kill,” Schumer said Tuesday. “Republicans should reject this reckless path and return to the table for serious bipartisan negotiations.”
The White House has downplayed the controversy, with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett telling Fox News Digital last week that “we’re really just debating the footnotes” of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and that the core elements of the legislation remain intact.
Still, the clock is ticking. If Democrats and Republicans can’t come to terms by the end of September, a shutdown or stopgap measure may be the only options left on the table.
