Early Thursday, Senate Republicans voted in favor of a $1.1 billion clawback from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, affecting NPR and local public radio funding. The 51-to-48 vote on the $9 billion rescissions package followed President Trump’s demands.
The final vote came after another late-night “vote-a-rama” from the Senate, which saw the majority of cuts from the White House confirmed.
Despite some GOP voices like Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) expressing concerns about how rural radio and television would be affected, internal party negotiations shifted after Senator Mike Rounds (R‑SD) secured an OMB deal to swap $10 million in Green New Deal funding to instead go to tribal radio funding – a move meant to soothe his concerns about rural radio without diluting the overall cut to CPB.
Even still, during the appropriations process, Vice President JD Vance had to be brought in to move the bill forward as a tiebreaker vote on Tuesday.
To secure support from wavering Republicans, the package preserves $400 million for PEPFAR and includes private side deals reallocating funds to tribal public radio. But even with this concession, the central $1 billion cut remains intact as Republicans reconcile Trump’s demands with growing concern among moderates.
Earlier this month, Trump publicly threatened to withhold endorsements from any Republican who opposed defunding public broadcasting, raising the stakes for GOP senators.
In response, Senate Democrats warned that the move could derail broader budget negotiations and potentially trigger a government shutdown. In particular, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) railed against the cuts to public radio and television, saying, “Tonight, Senate Republicans pulled the plug on more than 1,500 public radio and TV stations across America – silencing broadcasters that delivered more than 11,000 life-saving emergency alerts last year and a Tsunami warning to Alaskans hours ago.”
“By ripping away funding for these local stations that millions rely on when disasters strike – from flash floods and hurricanes to tornadoes and wildfires – Republicans chose to cut vital public safety communications, threatening rural communities who depend on public media most,” she added.
Since the Senate-approved bill includes amendments to the version passed 214–212 by the US House in June, it must return to the chamber for final consideration before the final Friday deadline. If, for some reason, the legislation stalls, the previously approved funding would remain in place, but Republicans are expected to fall in line out of fear of Trump’s reprisal.
A recent Peak Insights poll highlighted by Radio Ink found 53% of likely voters oppose eliminating federal funding for public media, noting strong support for services such as local news, emergency alerts, and educational content
