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S 3166
Introduced Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Returning Unspent COVID Funds Act

S. 3166 To rescind unused COVID funding and reduce the deficit.

Introduced Nov 7, 2025

Latest action (Nov 8, 2025) Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 266.

Policy area
Economics and Public Finance
Issues
Economy & Taxes

Summary

This bill would rescind unobligated balances from six COVID-related appropriations acts, including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the CARES Act, and other pandemic relief legislation. Unobligated balances are funds that were authorized but not yet spent. The rescission would take effect upon the bill's enactment, with rescinded funds going to the general fund of the Treasury for deficit reduction. The President may waive the rescission for specific accounts or programs deemed important for national security by submitting notice within 60 days of the bill's enactment.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Joni Ernst’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $57,653
  • CAPITAL GROUP $40,000
  • SOROBAN CAPITAL $13,200
  • CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES $7,500
  • GOOGLE $6,800

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Joni Ernst → · Outside spending →

Actions (3)
  1. Nov 8, 2025 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 266. · senate
  2. Nov 7, 2025 Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. · senate
  3. Nov 7, 2025 Introduced in Senate

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • S 2067 — Rescissions Act of 2025 · Introduced Sep 2, 2025 · Cong. 119 68%
  • S 175 — A bill to rescind the unobligated balances of amounts appropriated for Internal Revenue Service enhancements and use such funding for an External Revenue Service. · Introduced Jan 21, 2025 · Cong. 119 67%
  • HR 1654 — CUTS Act · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Cong. 119 66%
  • S 4024 — Federal Taxpayer Funds Protection and Clawback Act · Introduced Mar 5, 2026 · Cong. 119 64%
  • S 2806 — Eliminate Shutdowns Act · Introduced Sep 29, 2025 · Cong. 119 63%
  • HJRES 173 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2023-02: Reopening Deposit Accounts That Consumers Previously Closed". · Introduced May 4, 2026 · Cong. 119 63%

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 7, 2025

Ms. Ernst (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

November 8, 2025

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

A BILL

To rescind unused COVID funding and reduce the deficit.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Returning Unspent COVID Funds Act”.

SEC. 2. RESCISSION OF UNUSED COVID FUNDING.

(a) In General.—Subject to subsection (b), effective on the date of enactment of this Act, the unobligated balances of amounts made available under the following are rescinded:

(1) The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 135 Stat. 4).

(2) Division M or N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260; 134 Stat. 1182).

(3) The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116-139; 134 Stat. 620).

(4) The CARES Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 Stat. 281).

(5) The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127; 134 Stat. 178).

(6) The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-123; 134 Stat. 146).

(b) National Security Waiver.—Amounts described in subsection (a) that were made available for an account or program shall not be rescinded if, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the President submits to the Committee on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a notice waiving the rescission under subsection (a) with respect to the account or program.

(c) Use for Deficit Reduction.—Amounts rescinded under subsection

(a) shall remain in the general fund of the Treasury for the sole purpose of deficit reduction. Calendar No. 266

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 3166

A BILL

To rescind unused COVID funding and reduce the deficit.

November 8, 2025

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

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