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The U.S. House passed a Donald Trump-backed plan to rescind $9 billion in previously approved foreign aid and public broadcasting funds, following a similar vote by the Senate. The cuts were made through a rarely used maneuver called a “rescission,” allowing the federal government to take back money already allocated.
In small towns across the U.S., including many in Florida, public media stations are often the only reliable source of local news, weather alerts and educational content. With state funding already slashed in some areas, such as the nearly $6 million cut by Gov. DeSantis in Florida, federal support has become even more critical.
NPR CEO Katherine Maher warns that without it, many rural stations may be forced to shut down entirely.
“The biggest harm to losing federal funding will be at the station level, which means that of the hundreds of stations, public media stations across the country, small stations in rural areas are likely to go dark because they will not have the funding to continue,” said Maher.
The House passed the measure by a narrow margin of 216 to 213, with only two Republicans crossing party lines. While supporters of the cuts argue they reduce unnecessary government spending, critics say the consequences for underserved communities are severe.
Some stations are already scrambling to increase fundraising or scale back programming, while Democrats in Congress are exploring legislation to restore some of the lost funding.
