With the Senate preparing to take up a request from the White House to claw back $9.4 billion in approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, President Trump last night put the squeeze on Republicans who have expressed concerns about the cuts.
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR),” Trump wrote, adding a dig at those outlets and cable news channels. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement.”
Congress must approve the rescissions package, which includes $8.3 billion in cuts to foreign aid and $1.1 billion in cuts to public broadcasting, by July 18 or the request will be deemed to have been rejected and the funding will stay in place.
Why it matters: Some senators have taken issue with the cuts to public broadcasting, especially for rural areas that rely on such stations. Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, has also expressed concerns about cuts to PEPFAR, the global AIDS prevention program. Republicans may try to amend the White House request and roll back some of the proposed cuts, but it’s not yet clear what changes Trump and his budget director, Russ Vought, might accept. Trump’s social media post may be a signal that he’d tolerate restoration of PEPFAR funding but not money for NPR and PBS.
Beyond those issues with the White House rescissions request, the vote on the package will also have implications for the developing fight over federal funding bills for Fiscal Year 2026. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has warned that Republican approval of a rescission package on a straight party-line vote would spell trouble for any bipartisanship in the annual funding process, where Democratic votes would be needed to pass spending bills.
“If Republicans cave to Donald Trump and gut these investments agreed to by both parties, that would be an affront — a huge affront — to the bipartisan appropriations process,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said this week. “It is absurd to expect Democrats to play along with funding the government if Republicans are just going to renege on a bipartisan agreement by concocting rescissions packages behind closed doors that can pass with only their votes, not the customary 60 votes required in the appropriation process.”
The Trump administration has also been pushing a constitutional fight over the power of the purse. In urging Republicans to push back on Trump’s request, Schumer said that the rescissions issue goes beyond this one specific package or this year’s appropriations process: “This is about the role of Congress as a co-equal branch with the executive, as the Founding Fathers proposed.”
What’s next: The Senate is expected to begin debate on the rescissions package on Tuesday.