On July 17, 2025, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 to approve a $9 billion rescissions package, stripping funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports PBS and NPR, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The House followed with a 214-212 vote, finalizing the cuts requested by President Donald Trump. The package, which claws back $1.1 billion from CPB and $8 billion from USAID, marks a significant victory for the administration’s push to reduce federal spending.
The decision, driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reflects Republican claims of bias in public media and wasteful foreign aid. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the cuts a step toward “fiscal sanity,” targeting programs like USAID’s global health and climate initiatives. NPR and PBS, which receive about 15% of their budgets from federal funds, face operational challenges, particularly for rural stations reliant on CPB grants for emergency alerts and local programming. NPR CEO Katherine Maher warned that the cuts could create “news deserts,” endangering public safety.
Democrats, joined by GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, opposed the measure, arguing it undermines critical services and Congress’s budgetary authority. Sen. Patty Murray criticized the partisan process, noting the cuts erode bipartisan programs like PEPFAR, though it was spared after amendments. The vote, finalized hours before a July 18 deadline, followed intense pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold endorsements from dissenting Republicans.
While larger stations may weather the cuts through fundraising, smaller outlets face potential closures. USAID’s reduced capacity could weaken global health and disaster relief efforts. The move signals more rescissions to come, raising questions about the balance of executive and legislative power.
