Senate Prepares for Rescissions Vote-a-Rama

On Tuesday, July 15, the Senate voted 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, on the motion to proceed with debate on H.R.4, the Rescission Act of 2025. Democrats used 10 hours of the statutorily required debate time with Republicans yielding the majority of their time; senators will proceed to begin the vote-a-rama shortly. The package proposes to rescind funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development under the Department of State, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the United States Institute of Peace and other international assistance programs. The discretionary funds for these agencies were provided in the Full-Year 2025 Continuing Resolution.
 
Ahead of the vote, Senate Republicans announced the removal of the $400 million cut to the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from the package, bringing the total rescissions to $9 billion. This comes as numerous Senate Republicans, most notably Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME), have expressed concern over cuts to this program in addition to a lack of information on how the proposed cuts will be implemented. Since the Senate made changes to the package, it must now be sent back to the House for an additional vote, adding pressure on the ticking clock. However, House Republicans have unlocked fast-track power through a procedural vote that took place yesterday, allowing the House to clear the rescissions package on the same day the House votes to tee up debate. If the rescissions package is not signed by President Trump by July 18, the funds must then be released.
 
The House previously passed H.R.4 on June 12 in a 214-212 vote, with four Republicans voting against the bill. On June 3, President Trump transmitted the rescissions package to Congress through the Office of Management and Budget, totaling $9.4 billion for 22 rescissions of budget authority.
 
The formal transmission of the rescissions package triggered a 45-day clock, which is 45 consecutive days of session, excluding days Congress adjourns sine die or both chambers are out of session for more than three days to act on the rescissions package. This 45-day clock expires this Friday, July 18, giving senators limited time to pass the bill.
 
Once the time for debate expires, the Senate enters the amendments portion of the process commonly known as a “vote-a-rama.” During this phase, the rules allow senators to propose modifications to the bill until their list, or their will to continue, is exhausted. Once amendment votes are completed, which is expected to occur sometime today, the Senate will pass H.R.4.
 
Please click here to access Brownstein’s vote-a-rama tracker, which contains a running list of filed amendments and will be updated in real time as amendments are considered on the floor.

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