National Public Radio Head Office, Washington, DC, Tuesday, May 27th, 2025 (Photo: Jennifer Shutt/Province Newsroom)
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s demand to curb $9.4 billion in previously approved foreign aid and public media spending fell into major opposition on Wednesday, potentially moving on its Senate path.
Many GOP lawmakers on the Approximate Budget Committee, including Chairman Susan Collins, have expressed concern about how the proposed rescue will affect America’s “soft power” and local radio and television stations that rely on public broadcasting.
R-Maine’s Collins highlighted cutting CPB’s already approved funding. It includes National Public Radio, public broadcasting services, and Hundreds of local stations Outside of domestic metropolitan areas.
“A large portion of this fund, over 70%, actually travels to local television and radio stations,” Collins said. “In Maine, the funding supports everything from rural emergency newsletters to reporting on high school basketball championships and locally produced high school quiz shows. Nationally produced television shows such as “Antique Roadshow” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” are also enjoyed by many people across our country. ”
Collins said she understands objections to businesses for public broadcasting funding the projects of the NPR, given what she called “identifiable partisan bent.”
“But there’s a more targeted approach to addressing bias in NPR than withdrawing all the company’s funds for public broadcasting,” Collins said.
Impact on Alaska
Alaskan Republican Sen. Lisa Murkovsky opposed the cancellation of funds that Congress had previously approved in public media and asked White House Budget Director Russ Vert to understand the impact of his hometown.
“Look at the urgency of trying to represent rural Alaska people, and in many parts of the countryside of America, this is their lifeline, they’re where they get the latest updates on that landslide.
“So they will not only get the emergency warning they need, but they will also get weather reports to ensure that fishermen can go out safely.
Country radio in South Dakota, Nebraska
South Dakota GOP Sen. Minecround pressed Congress to secure uninterrupted federal funding for local radio stations in his hometown in his rural areas, even if Congress withdraws the company for public broadcasting budgets.
“First of all, we have Native American radio stations in South Dakota. They get funding through NPR – 90% of what they use. “It’s not a ton of money, but are they willing to work with us to find a way in these places that are not inherently political?
“These are people who have issued emergency notifications. They talk about community events and so on. But they are very rural and simply don’t have an economy to help buy advertising at these stations.”
Vought appeared to have agreed to work in the round before saying that if Congress approved a corporate rescue request for public broadcasting, the administration would not withdraw funds until the following fiscal year, which begins on October 1.
Vought has also pledged to work with Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fisher to ensure that rural people have a way to learn about emergency warnings if a rescue request is approved.
“I’m also very concerned about emergency warnings that only come through that country radio to many parts of Nebraska,” Fisher said. “We are vast and are often very sparsely populated areas that are not receiving cell services. It’s difficult to have landlines in many parts of my state.”
Reducing AIDS relief
Chairman Collins also said in the meantime. Almost 3 hours of hearing Cutting funding for certain global health programs, including the US President’s emergency plan for AIDS relief, would be “very wise and shortsighted.”
“Pepfer saved more than 26 million lives and allowed 7.8 million babies to be HIV-free for mothers living with HIV,” Collins said. “The program remains a bipartisan priority in Congress. After years of commitment and stable investment, the finish line has come into view. The US has the tools to help HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention get jobs during the transition of national ownership by 2030.”
Collins argued that it is unlikely that the Trump administration would spend foreign aid dollars on the same “suspecting projects” that are part of the Biden administration.
“Unless the current administration plans to continue these controversial projects it has identified — I am very suspicious — using only these projects cannot justify the proposed rescue,” Collins said.
Just before Vought issued his opening statement to the committee, a group of protesters in the room rose to their feet and began screaming to keep Pepfer’s funds in place. They were escorted by the Capitol Police.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Republican Kentucky Sen. and chairman of the Defense Expense Subcommittee, a former majority leader, rejected some of the proposed foreign aid cuts, claiming that he eroded American influence around the world.
“And there’s a lot of absolute nonsense decorations that have been supported by America, which should not be receiving taxpayer funds. But the administration’s attempts to eradicate them is unnecessarily confusing,” McConnell said.
“In the critical corners of the Earth, instead of generating efficiency, they create a vacuum for enemies like China to fill. Responsible investment in soft power can prevent conflict, maintain American influence, and save countless lives at the same time.
However, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has announced he will vote for the rescue package, claiming that the Biden administration deserves responsibilities in several ways using funds from the Pepfer account.
“I won’t preach to me any more. I’m going to vote for this package. And do you know why I’m going to vote for this package? As a statement that Pepfer is important, but that’s not beyond scrutiny,” Graham said. “How you run the government will have consequences. Don’t lecture me about being mean or cruel.”
How resignation works
Trump administration Send a $9.4 billion resignation request to Congress In early June, the White House Budget Office will allow a legal freeze on funding for the various programs included in the 45-day proposal, but lawmakers will decide whether to approve or reject it.
The request called on lawmakers to zero the company’s funding for public broadcasting in the next two fiscal years, totaling $1.1 billion previously approved.
It proposed more than $8 billion cuts to numerous foreign aid accounts run by the US State Department and the US International Development Agency, including health programs, democracy, economic development, peacekeeping operations, and refugee assistance.
One of the proposed resignations by lawmakers proposed to cut down $500 million out of the $4 billion that Congress previously approved in “Child and Maternal Health, HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease-Related Activities.”
“The proposal will not reduce treatment, but will eliminate programs that are conflicting with America’s interests and will worsen the lives of women and children, including “family planning,” “reproductive health,” LGBTQI+ activities, and “equity” programs. ”
house I voted mainly along the party line. In June, he fully approved the request and sent it to the Senate, where he stood on the sidelines for several weeks as Republicans worked towards an agreement on the party’s “big and beautiful bill.”
Resignation bill Supporting Republican Vice Presidents and Vice President JD Vance in the tie-up vote should become law as they are not subject to the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster. However, the 45-day watch must be done before it runs out on July 18th.
If Senate leaders do not schedule floor votes or receive the necessary support, the Trump administration must spend their funds as planned previously. And the White House Budget Office will be prevented from sending requests for retirement in the same account for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s tenure.
Considering the Senate floor also includes unlimited amendment debate, giving both parties the opportunity to request a vote on whether to maintain or eliminate each proposed withdrawal.
Changes to the bill will need to return across the Capitol for a final vote in the House before the deadline.
