The House of Representatives has voted to cut two years of federal funding for public broadcasting, with the bill now heading to the Senate. This move, largely along party lines, marks the first significant budget cut request from the Trump administration aimed at reversing funding that Congress previously approved.
The proposed bill includes a total of $9.4 billion in spending cuts. Among these cuts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) would lose the full $1.1 billion that Congress had allocated just months earlier. This funding is crucial for public radio and television stations, as it supports programming and grants. While direct federal funding constitutes about 1% of NPR’s annual budget, member stations rely on CPB for 8% to 10% of their funding.
NPR’s president and CEO, Katherine Maher, expressed concern over the vote and highlighted the bipartisan support for public media. She urged the Senate to reject the cuts, emphasizing the importance of public broadcasting services for Americans.
Beyond public broadcasting, the bill also targets foreign aid, cutting programs like PEPFAR, a global health initiative for HIV and AIDS, as well as hunger relief at UNICEF and international disaster aid. Republican lawmakers argued that these programs are wasteful and do not serve U.S. interests. Representative Jim Jordan from Ohio summarized the Republican stance by stating, "Don’t spend money on stupid things and don’t subsidize biased media."
Public broadcasting has long been a contentious issue in Congress, with efforts to defund NPR and PBS dating back to the 1990s. Under the Trump administration, public media has faced increased scrutiny, with Trump labeling these outlets as ideologically biased. During the House debate, Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett defended public broadcasters, insisting they provide essential information to the public.
As the bill moves to the Senate, its fate remains uncertain. If four Republican senators oppose the cuts, they could block the bill. Some senators have already expressed concerns about the impact of these cuts on global health and public broadcasting. The Senate is expected to address the bill before a July 18 deadline.