Senate Approves $9 Billion in Cuts, Including Funding for NPR and PBS
In a narrow vote, the Senate approved a sweeping $9 billion rollback in federal funding, gutting public media budgets and setting the stage for a political showdown over NPR, PBS, and America’s rural airwaves.
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The U.S. Senate passed a $9 billion rescissions package, slashing previously approved federal funding, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports NPR, PBS, and local public media stations. The vote, narrowly approved 51-48, followed a contentious debate and a marathon "vote-a-rama" session, with Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joining Democrats in opposition, while Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) missed the vote due to hospitalization. The package, which also cuts $7.9 billion in foreign aid, now returns to the House for final approval before a midnight Friday deadline, after which the funds must be released if not passed.
The cuts, championed by President Trump and tied to the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk, target what Republicans, including Trump, call biased "radical left" programming by NPR and PBS. Trump, posting on Truth Social, called the defunding a long-overdue Republican victory, claiming the broadcasters are “worse than CNN & MSDNC put together.” House Speaker Mike Johnson urged swift Senate passage, emphasizing fiscal discipline. However, critics like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned the cuts “suffocate public broadcasting” and risk future bipartisan spending talks, potentially leading to a government shutdown. A Harris Poll showed 66% of Americans, including 58% of Republicans, support public radio funding, highlighting public resistance.
The CPB, which distributes funds to over 1,500 public media stations, faces severe impacts, particularly for rural stations reliant on federal grants for up to 50% of their budgets. PBS CEO Paula Kerger called the Senate’s vote “against the will of the American people,” warning of “devastating” effects on local programming and emergency alerts. NPR’s Katherine Maher noted potential legal action, citing violations of the Public Broadcasting Act and First Amendment. An internal NPR report from 2011 estimated that 18% of stations, especially in the Midwest, South, and West, could close without federal support. Democrats, like Representative Hakeem Jeffries, decried the cuts as targeting educational programs like *Sesame Street*, while Alaska’s Murkowski highlighted public media’s role in emergency alerts after a recent earthquake.
The package’s passage in the House last month (214-212) required last-minute vote switches by Representatives Don Bacon and Nick LaLota, swayed by assurances of future PBS funding. In the Senate, amendments to protect CPB funding or reduce the cuts failed, though PEPFAR, a global HIV/AIDS program, was spared a $400 million cut. Some Republicans, like Mitch McConnell, criticized the White House for lacking transparency on the cuts’ scope, while others, like Senator Markwayne Mullin, celebrated them as a step toward curbing wasteful spending. If signed into law, the cuts could reshape public media, with rural communities facing the loss of critical news and emergency services.
Sources: NPR, The New York Times, AP News, NBC, CBS, CNN