Trump’s bid to defund PBS, NPR steps closer as US Senate approves cuts

The US Senate moves closer to approving Donald Trump’s defunding bill

The US Senate has approved Donald Trump’s plans to claw back around US$1.1bn in funding to PBS, NPR and their station affiliates.

The Senate voted 51 to 48 in favour of Trump’s request to cut billions in spending, which come as part of the US president’s “rescission” bill to withdraw around US$9.4bn in total funding, with most of the cuts hitting foreign aid.

The Senate’s approval of the cuts sets up a final showdown in the US House of Representatives, which approved an earlier version of the bill by a narrow margin of 214 to 212 last month.

PBS has said if the bill is enacted, “the consequences for local stations would be swift and devastating” and has urged the US public to take action and contact lawmakers.

Funding of almost US$1.1bn (US$535m in both 2026 and 2027) had already been approved by Congress for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports both PBS and radio broadcaster NPR. However, Trump has waged war on both organisations, accusing them of being liberal mouthpieces and a waste of federal resources.

The bill is a continuation of the Department of Government Efficiency work started by Elon Musk earlier this year.

Trump signed an executive order in May directing Congress to rescind US$1.1bn in funding to the CPB.

In a statement immediately after the vote, NPR CEO Katherine Maher said: “Nearly three-in-four Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety.

“We call on the House of Representatives to reject this elimination of public media funding, which directly harms their communities and constituents, and could very well place lives at risk.”

In a separate statement, Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations, said the organisation was “devastated that the Senate voted to eliminate federal funding to the local public television stations throughout this country that provide essential lifesaving public safety services, proven educational services and community connections to their communities every day for free.”