(The Center Square) – A member of the Illinois congressional delegation calls the rescissions package passed by Congress to cut federal government spending by $9 billion “absolutely shameful,” but a candidate who hopes to secure a seat in Congress in 2026 has a different take.
After the U.S. House passed the rescissions bill Thursday, Illinois U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Chicago, reacted with a social media post on X.
“Absolutely shameful: The GOP’s rescission bill rips $9 billion from foreign aid, NPR, and PBS. Millions worldwide: Afghan kids, Haitian families, Pakistani women…will lose food, medicine, hope. This isn’t fiscal responsibility, it’s cruelty and moral failure,” Jackson posted.
The measure revokes roughly $7.9 billion in foreign aid programs and $1.1 billion meant to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances National Public Radio, Public Broadcasting Stations and some radio stations.
Christian Maxwell is a Republican running to replace Jackson in Illinois’ 1st Congressional District next year. Maxwell said a lot of the items being cut look like slush funds.
“So if slush funds and having open line items that allow for unchecked and just really truly unmitigated spending abroad, if that is something that Jonathan Jackson feels is a high priority, then I guess it would be shameful,” Maxwell told The Center Square.
Maxwell said the bill allows taxpayer-funded investments to be focused stateside.
“I think this is a wonderful way to make sure that American tax dollars are being utilized for things like infrastructure. Our roadways are in really terrible shape all throughout the U.S. When you talk about billions of dollars in funding, what could that do for something as simple as roadways? So I’m really not clear on why Jonathan Jackson would call this shameful, especially considering that roadways in District One alone, they’re in really rough condition,” Maxwell said.
The mother of four, Maxwell also supports the $1.1 billion in cuts to public broadcasting, although she said her children enjoy PBS Kids.
“But the thing is, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting doesn’t just fund Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was supposed to be bipartisan when it was created.
“It shouldn’t become broadcasting that’s kind of veering people towards being a part of one ideology or one party,” Maxwell explained.
Financial records show that Illinois taxpayers shelled out $1.2 million to Illinois Public Media for non-operating costs from state taxpayers in 2024.
Public media outlets associated with public universities in Illinois also receive millions from state taxpayer funds for both operating and non-operating costs.
In addition, Illinois universities subsidize on-campus public media.
Although the rescissions bill reduces global health spending, Maxwell said the cuts excluded HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, maternal and child health.
“They’re not cutting those very vital programs,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell said it is troubling that a lot of Democrats wanted to protect slush funds.
“They pulled out Sesame Street and Big Bird. Don’t exploit Big Bird and then moms abroad to advocate for your blank-check bank accounts,” Maxwell said.
Greg Bishop and Thérèse Boudreaux contributed to this story.
