There is more than just public broadcasting on line with passage of Recissions Act
Passage means a simple-majority bill can now unilaterally defund major programs, thereby bypassing the deliberative budget process
The Senate on Thursday passed H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, a $9.4 billion package that will claw back already-allocated federal funds for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Narrowly passed by the House last month in a 214–212 vote, the bill targets $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for fiscal years 2026–27, along with up to $8.3 billion in international assistance – including programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United States Institute of Peace, and other global initiatives.
Democrats used their full 10 hours of allotted debate time to try to stall the bill, while Republicans yielded most of theirs. The bill, which many constitutional scholars argue cedes undue powers to the president to unilaterally stop appropriations of funding already voted on by Congress, passed just under the July 18 deadline for appropriating the money.
Public broadcasting advocates have been sounding the alarm. CPB funds support more than 1,400 public radio and television outlets across the country, including 59 Native American stations that now face potential closure. A recent CPB-commissioned poll found that 53 percent of voters oppose eliminating federal funding for public media.
Wisconsin Public Radio released a stark warning:
“Without essential federal funding, life-saving emergency alerts, educational resources and PBS Kids programs that prepare our children for school, trusted local journalism, and enriching cultural programming could be eliminated.”
Programs that disproportionately serve rural, low-income, and tribal communities are especially vulnerable, impacting everything from school readiness to emergency alert systems.
Political fault lines
The debate over H.R. 4 quickly became a political litmus test, especially as President Donald Trump presses Republicans to fall in line.
“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 posted Thursday on Truth Social. “Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement.”
Several GOP senators were uneasy about the implications. Some worried about cuts to HIV/AIDS prevention programs and the impact on rural public radio stations. Others were alarmed at how the rescission process circumvents regular congressional appropriations, potentially destabilizing long-term federal budgeting. None of that kept them for voting for the bill.
Hardline conservatives like Wisconsin’s Sen. Ron Johnson embraced the disruption.
“The appropriations process should be undermined,” Johnson told Business Insider. “It’s bankrupting the country. That needs to be busted up.”
A vote with lasting consequences
H.R. 4 now sets a precedent: a simple-majority bill can unilaterally defund major programs, thereby bypassing the deliberative budget process. That will likely mark a dramatic shift in how federal funding is handled – and who gets to decide which services survive.
Public broadcasting supporters argue that H.R. 4 is more than a cost-cutting maneuver, insisting that it begins the dangerous process of dismantling decades of investment in media, education and global engagement.
Anya van Wagtendonk
