[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 123 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Rescissions
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, this morning--in the early hours of this
morning--Republicans voted to save the American taxpayers over $9
billion.
Now, predictably, the Democratic leader came to the floor today in
the U.S. Senate making false claims.
Let's be clear. Emergency alert infrastructure remains funded through
the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. None of that was touched.
But let me go through a list of some of the things that Republicans
voted to not spend money on--things that have already previously been
approved by the Democrats, and every one of the Democrats said: Nope,
we want to spend all of that money on these things.
How about electric buses in Africa to the tune of $500,000? How about
teaching about environmental racism--$7.4 million? How about vegan food
programs in Africa? How about $882,000 to fund social media mentorship
in Serbia and Belarus? How about $2.1 million for climate resilience in
Southeast Asia, in Latin America, and in East Africa? How about $3.3
million for civic engagement in Zimbabwe?
The Democrats wanted all of these things to continue to be spent, and
the American taxpayers reject all of it.
How about $4.4 million for a South Pacific youth climate corps?
Who comes up with this way to spend money? Only Democrats who want to
spend and spend and spend.
And, of course, $6.2 million to address the needs of Venezuelan
migrants in Colombia.
I am proud of the votes of the Republicans to say these are taxpayer
dollars that should not be spent. Every Democrat--every single
Democrat--said: Keep sending the money to projects like that; keep
spending that money.
Last night, for the first time since 1993--1993, and we are now
2025--the first time in all of that time that the Senate came and
stripped out the spending by passing a bill on the U.S. Senate floor
last night to finally say enough is enough of this kind of reckless
Washington spending that the American people have rejected and that
this Congress is now going to end.