Congress recently passed a significant tax and spending bill that increases funding for defense, the border, and includes tax cuts. However, this summer, Congress is shifting gears—standing poised to cut already allocated funds.
President Trump is calling on Congress to approve what's known as a "rescission package" in the coming days. This request allows the president to cancel previously allocated funds, a power granted by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Congress has until July 18 to respond to Trump's proposal.
The president is seeking a total cut of $9.4 billion. Proposed cuts include defunding the U.S. Agency for International Development, former President George W. Bush's AIDS relief program, and federal support for PBS and NPR.
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"To my friends across the aisle, I know you love your globalist pet projects, but the American people are fed up," Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert stated earlier this year.
Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove responded, "We will have zero claim to global leadership while you all have killed off Elmo."
While the House has already approved this legislation despite Democratic opposition, the Senate has yet to take action. Legal experts warn that Congress must vote by next Friday, or the White House will be required to spend the allocated funds.
In an effort to counteract the proposed funding cuts, public broadcasters have initiated a social media campaign.
Trump remains firm in his stance on the cuts. Last month, he expressed on his Truth Social platform, "NPR and PBS are a Radical Left Disaster, and 1000% against the Republican Party!"
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While NPR does not solely depend on federal funds, it has alerted its listeners to the potential fallout of slashing resources.
"If rescission passes and local stations go dark, millions of Americans will no longer have access to locally owned, independent, nonprofit media and will bear the risk of living in a news desert," NPR warned in a statement.
Republican Senate leaders are not expected to vote on the package until next week, with some moderate Republicans expressing concerns over the cuts. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has labeled the proposal a "toxic proposal," although it is not reliant on Democratic support to pass.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
