Trump asks Congress to pull $9B in funding for NPR, PBS, foreign aid

Axios

3 days ago

President Trump formally asked Congress on Tuesday to rescind $9.4 billion in already approved funding for foreign aid and the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds NPR and PBS.
Why it matters: The rescissions package is an attempt to codify DOGE -driven cuts amid a wider push a wider push from the Trump administration to target traditional news organizations Republicans perceive as biased against them.
NPR and PBS are suing the administration after Trump signed an executive order last month that directed CPB to "cease direct funding" for the two biggest public broadcasters in the U.S., which he called "biased."
Details: Congressional Republican leaders in a Tuesday night joint statement confirmed they had received Trump's recessions request to revoke $8.3 billion in funding for foreign assistance and $1.1 billion from the CPB.
"Now that this wasteful spending by the federal government has been identified by DOGE, quantified by the Administration, and sent to Congress, House Republicans will fulfill our mandate and continue codifying into law a more efficient federal government," per the statement that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) posted on X.
"This is exactly what the American people deserve," the statement added. "Next week, we will put the rescissions bill on the floor of the House and encourage all our Members to support this commonsense measure."
What they're saying: NPR CEO Katherine Maher noted in a statement on the White House memorandum stating it was asking Congress to "claw back" funding that such a revocation would cause immediate budget shortfalls, with dire consequences.
"This would result in cancellation of beloved local and national programming, a reduction in local news coverage and newsroom jobs, a severe curtailing (if not elimination) of public radio music stations who depend on CPB to negotiate music licenses, reduction in service areas for rural and remote communities, as well as forcing dozens of local stations to shutter operations," she said.
"Rescission would irreparably harm communities across America who count on public media for 24/7 news, music, cultural and educational programming, and emergency alerting services."
Representatives for PBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening, but its CEO Paula Kerger previously told Axios she would "vigorously" defend the public broadcaster's board from any political interference.
What we're watching: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is warning that she's concerned by cuts to AIDS relief in Africa in the rescissions package the White House sent to Congress.