Show-Me State Times

On July 15, 2025, Senator Eric Schmitt addressed the Senate in support of President Trump’s proposed rescissions package. The legislation aims to reduce federal spending by retracting funds previously allocated to various programs and organizations.

Schmitt, who is leading the effort in the Senate, described the bill as a necessary step toward addressing the national debt and changing government spending priorities. “I rise today in strong support of President Trump’s rescissions package,” Schmitt said. He characterized the nation’s $37 trillion debt as unsustainable and criticized what he called “bloated bureaucracies and radical left-wing activists.”

The senator specifically targeted funding for public broadcasting entities such as NPR and PBS, arguing that these institutions are ideologically biased. “NPR and PBS are not neutral media outlets. They are the closest thing we’ve ever had to an American Pravda,” Schmitt stated. He cited comments from former NPR editor Uri Berliner regarding alleged editorial bias within NPR.

Schmitt also raised concerns about foreign aid expenditures included in current federal budgets. He listed several programs that would lose funding under the rescissions package, including initiatives supporting gender diversity abroad, international disaster aid with specific identity considerations, and grants to United Nations agencies.

“Every dollar we claw back from the NGOs and the foreign aid swamp is a dollar we take away from the people who are waging war on our country,” Schmitt argued during his remarks.

He concluded by urging his colleagues to support passage of the bill: “I urge my colleagues to join me in voting yes on this package.”