(The Center Square) – The U.S. House in a late night vote passed Republicans’ $9 billion rescissions package, delivering another win for President Donald Trump and his promise to cut federal spending.

The measure, which cuts already appropriated federal spending on some foreign aid projects and public broadcasting programs, passed 216-213 in the House, the final voted needed to send it to Trump’s desk for his signature.

Two Republicans – U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio, joined all Democrats in voting against the measure.

Originally clawing back a total of $9.4 billion, the package now revokes roughly $7.9 billion in “woke” foreign aid programs and $1.1 billion meant to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR, PBS and some radio stations.

Although the rescissions package – compiled by the Office of Management and Budget – does not include many details over specific program cuts, Republican leaders have floated a list of foreign aid initiatives deemed wasteful that will lose funding, including:

• $21 million for wind farms in Ukraine
• $18 million to promote gender diversity in the Mexican street lighting industry
• $6 million for “Net Zero Cities” in Mexico
• $5 million to strengthen the “resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer global movements” globally
• $4.4 million for the Melanesian Youth Climate Corps
• $3.3 million for civic engagement in Zimbabwe
• $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street
• $2.5 million to teach children about how to make “environmentally friendly reproductive health” choices

It will also revoke millions in funds for “climate resilience” projects in developing countries – such as electric buses in Rwanda – as well as other global aid programs Trump deemed “woke,” promoting everything from abortion pills and vegan foods to DEI awareness and LGBTQ activism.

Conservative groups and fiscal watchdogs have urged lawmakers to support the package as a small step towards tackling the federal deficit. Democrats, however, have threatened to later force a government shutdown in October if it passes, which it did early Friday. They argue that Republicans “cannot expect” Democrats to work with them on bipartisan government funding bills, which require 60 votes in the Senate to pass, if GOP lawmakers will later rescind anything they don’t like, which requires only a majority vote in the Senate.

The rescission package needed only 51 in the Senate to pass.

(The Center Square) – Tennessee’s June unemployment rate was 3.5% for the third straight month as nonfarm jobs increased by 6,100.

The number is just slightly higher than the June 2024 rate of 3.3% and lower than the national average of 4.1%, according to information from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The average weekly earnings dropped by $22.13 from $1,022.95 to $1,000.82. It remains below the national level, which increased by $7.40 in June to $1,187.38.

The state’s average hourly earnings are down 48 cents in June from $24.96 to $24.47. The national average is up slightly to $28.82, according to the department.

The sectors with the most job growth in June were professional and business services, education and health services and trade, transportation and utilities. Durable goods manufacturing, the federal government and construction had the biggest decreases, according to the department. Tennessee gained 6,100 net jobs in June.

Job growth has been steady over the year in the Volunteer State, with the addition of 22,900 net jobs, the department said. Government, leisure and hospitality and the education and health services sector grew the most year over year.

The three sectors that lost the most jobs over the year are construction, administrative, support and waste services and nondurable goods manufacturing.

(The Center Square) – The Florida Public Service Commission held the final of two public hearings on Thursday concerning a request by the state’s largest natural gas company to increase its rates for customers.

In both hearings, there was no feedback from ratepayers, but emails opposing the rate hike continue to populate the rate case docket. 

For a Peoples Gas System residential customer using up to 99 therms (a heat energy measure equivalent to 100,000 British Thermal Units) per month, their bill would increase from $19.10 to $26.50 (38.5%) if the commission approves the increase. For those using 100 to 1,999 therms, their cost would increase from $24.44 to $35.50 per month (45%). 

The rate hike would go into effect on Jan. 1. The commission last approved a rate hike for the utility in 2023. 

Peoples Gas System wants a nearly $103.6 million rate hike, justifying the increase because “existing base rates would not be sufficient to cover the company’s costs of service and provide an adequate return on invested capital.”

As with other regulated monopolies, Peoples Gas is guaranteed a rate of return for its investors on its capital investments.

Peoples said in its filing that it needed a rate of return of 11.1% and, without a rate hike, it would receive 9.15% this year and 5.7% in 2026. It also said it will spend $800 million on improving its infrastructure as its customer base continues to grow. 

Despite a lack of customers providing input at the hearings in Hollywood and Orlando, ratepayers aren’t happy about the proposed rate hike.

“I believe Teco’s proposed rate change for their RS-2 rate class is an outrageous request that would result in a 45% increase in their fee,” Richard Veraszto told the commission in an email. “I understand they are subjected to inflationary costs but to ask for that amount of an increase is not reasonable and should be denied.”

A Fort Myers customer also shared his concerns via email. 

“They just raised their Customer Charge (base rates) significantly in the last couple of years to where a residential base rate is now more than 50% of the total bill,” Andy Koebel wrote in an email to the commission. “Now they want to increase it by almost another 25%. One of the reasons they state the need for this increase is that they have expanded their network by adding 1,260 miles of mains and service lines to service demand. I also work in the utility industry and expansion of service is not to be borne by the existing ratepayers.

“That cost should be covered by connection fees/impact fees paid by developers or new connections if they want service. For this reason, the proposed increase in the Customer Charge to help with expansion associated costs should be denied by the PSC or significantly reduced.”

Koebel also took objection to the proposal by Peoples to combine two of the four rate classes, which he said would adversely affect customers using around 25 to 50 therms per month. 

Peoples Gas System is a subsidiary of Tampa Electric and serves 470,000 residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers across 39 of Florida’s 67 counties, including five metropolitan areas.