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Legislative bills

Senate Debates Bill to Cancel $9 Billion in Public Broadcasting and Foreign Aid Spending

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The US Senate has begun debating a bill that aims to cancel $9 billion in previously approved spending on public broadcasting and foreign aid. While the bill includes a deal for grants to some Native American radio stations that may help offset cuts to public media, key votes will serve as fodder for campaign ads heading into next year's midterm elections. The Trump administration sent Congress the rescissions request in early June, and the House voted mostly along party lines to send the rescissions bill to the Senate.

Key Takeaways:

  • The bill would cancel $9 billion in previously approved spending on public broadcasting and foreign aid, including funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
  • The decision would impact rural communities and emergency alert systems, with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting providing funding for local stations throughout the country.
  • Republican leaders have secured an agreement to move $9.4 million from an account within the Interior Department to at least two dozen Native American radio stations in multiple states.
  • The deal was announced by South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, who secured the agreement with White House budget director Russ Vought.
  • Maine's Susan Collins, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski voted against moving forward with debate on the bill.
  • Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote was the only reason the proposal advanced to the vote-a-rama.
  • International disaster relief Amendment debate kicked off with a proposal from Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons to eliminate the $496 million rescission for international disaster relief funding.
  • Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt argued against preserving full funding for international disaster relief, saying that many foreign governments and U.N. agencies have become reliant on U.S. emergency funding.
  • Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto tried unsuccessfully to block any cancellation to Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding.
  • The bill has been criticized by Democrats, with New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker saying that the rescissions package undermines what was supposed to be a bipartisan budget and appropriations process.

Statistics:

  • $9 billion: The amount of previously approved spending on public broadcasting and foreign aid that would be canceled under the bill.
  • $9.4 million: The amount of funding that would be moved from an account within the Interior Department to at least two dozen Native American radio stations in multiple states.
  • 49-50 vote: The vote on the amendment to preserve full funding for international disaster relief.
  • 48-51 vote: The vote on the attempt to send the bill back to committee.
  • 24 states: The states where Native American radio stations would receive funding under the deal.
  • $2 million: The estimated loss for Prairie Public in North Dakota over the next two years due to the elimination of federal funding.

Sources:

  • [News from the States, "Trump Wants Congress to Slash $94b Spending Now, Defund NPR and PBS"](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-wants-congress-slash-94b-spending-now-defund-npr-and-pbs)
  • [News from the States, "US House Votes to Yank Billions from NPR, PBS, and Foreign Aid Programs"](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-votes-yank-billions-npr-pbs-and-foreign-aid-programs)
  • [News from the States, "Trump-Driven Effort to Defund NPR and PBS Resisted by Republicans from Rural States"](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-drive-defund-npr-pbs-resisted-republicans-rural-states)
  • [North Dakota Monitor, "Prairie Public Expects Significant Hit from Federal Cuts to PBS and NPR"](https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/07/16/prairie-public-expects-significant-hit-from-federal-cuts-to-pbs-npr/)

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