After successfully advancing President Trump’s budget bill, Congress has just days left to act on the White House’s proposed $9 billion-plus rescissions package that would leave public broadcasters without $1.1 billion previously allotted by the legislators.
Various reports from Capitol Hill suggest the Senate could vote on the measure as early as next week, but some aren’t so sure.
Despite the Senate’s ability to fast-track the package out of the Appropriations Committee, no formal markup is scheduled. The most likely path forward appears to be a leadership-drafted substitute amendment, which would be sent to the House at the last minute, potentially leaving lawmakers there only a narrow window to act before the July 18 deadline.
As it stands, Senate Republicans are divided. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Dan Sullivan (AK), along with Senator Mike Rounds (SD), have voiced concern about the plan’s elimination of public broadcasting funds. Sullivan said he is seeking an amendment to protect “very rural” stations that rely heavily on federal support to remain on the air.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) has voiced strong opposition to proposed cuts in the package to the global HIV/AIDS program PEPFAR. She told Maine Public that she wants to preserve funding for local public media outlets, citing Maine Public’s role in emergency alerts and neutral coverage. However, she criticized NPR for a “partisan bent,” citing leadership comments and imagery.
She noted that NPR receives only about $4 million of the proposed cuts and said she would prefer to remove cuts for local stations from the rescissions package. Sen. Collins is reportedly considering drafting an alternative version of the bill.
Meanwhile, public radio and television stations across the country are ramping up on-air messaging urging listeners to contact their Senators and speak out against the proposed cuts.
The rescissions package narrowly cleared the House in a 214–212 vote in June, with all but six Republicans voting in favor. Four GOP lawmakers voted against the bill, two abstained, and no Democrats supported it, though four Democrats did not vote.
If Congress does not pass the rescissions bill by July 18, the targeted funding, covering fiscal years 2026 and 2027, will be spent as appropriated and become immune to future rescission efforts.
