House Puts Future of Public Broadcasting in Doubt with Vote to Claw Back Federal Funding

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the House voted 214–212 to approve the Trump White House’s rescission request, including a measure that claws back nearly $1.1 billion in already-approved federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the entity that provides federal support for NPR and PBS affiliates across the country. 

Earlier in the year, Congress approved $535 million a year in federal spending for CPB through the end of 2027. On June 3, President Trump sent Congress the rescission request, which started a process that gave lawmakers a window of 45 session days to adopt Trump’s measure by a simple-majority vote in both chambers. The issue will be taken up by the Senate, where numerous Democrats and some Republicans have already voiced opposition to defunding public media.

Free Press Action Co-CEO Craig Aaron said:

“The House has endangered the future of public broadcasting in America. The Senate must listen to the public and put a stop to this attack on essential educational programming, invaluable accountability journalism and lifesaving public information. Congress should reject this attempt to roll back funds it already voted to spend and stand up against partisan meddling in public media. 

“A decisive majority of people across the United States oppose Trump’s outrageous bid to end federal support for NPR and PBS. Over the years, poll after poll has shown that people of all political stripes believe that funding public broadcasting is a worthy use of taxpayer dollars. Free Press Action is working to ensure that every member of the Senate hears from their constituents. This effort to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is deeply unpopular — and is an attack on the foundations of our democracy. 

”President Trump is determined to destroy any news outlets that hold him accountable for his actions. As they prepare to vote on his request, senators need to know that supporting public media is healthy for their communities and our democracy. Publicly funded news outlets act as counterbalances to a commercial media system that too often puts profits before the public interest. Local public-broadcast stations provide trustworthy news and cultural programming, as well as lifesaving coverage during emergencies. Free Press Action is urging senators to listen to their constituents, do the right thing and reject these unjust cuts to an institution that has served the American public for more than 50 years.”

Background: In February, Free Press Action Co-CEO Craig Aaron testified before the House Judiciary Committee about the Trump administration’s censorship against media viewpoints the president dislikes, calling it a “free-speech emergency.” In May 2024, he testified about false claims of bias at NPR and PBS. Free Press Action is leading grassroots efforts to craft public policy that supports local noncommercial news and information.