At first glance, the proposal to rescind over $9 billion in US federal spending appears to be a relatively modest budgetary adjustment. In reality, it is a litmus test ~ not just for fiscal discipline, but for the current state of the Republican Party’s cohesion and its evolving relationship with executive power.

The Trump administration’s push for this rescissions bill is more about political posture than prudent governance, and it reveals a fault line that may widen as deeper cuts are pursued in future. The core of the bill targets funding that, while often criticized by conservatives, serves tangible and sometimes life-saving purposes: foreign aid, public broadcasting, refugee programmes, and global health initiatives like PEPFAR. Though these expenditures constitute a small fraction of the federal budget, they represent disproportionately large benefits in global goodwill, public health, and rural infrastructure. Cutting them signals not just a shift in fiscal........

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