# Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The precise station-by-station effect of the cuts on local news coverage was not fully detailed in the source reviewed.

At President Trump's request, Congress passed a rescissions package clawing back roughly $1.1 billion already appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, eliminating federal funding for NPR, PBS and their member stations.[1]

- Country: [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)
- Where: United States
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Funding and ownership pressure
- Stage: Pressure (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/funding_and_ownership_pressure#stage-pressure)
- Head of government at the time: [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump)
- Issue of the day: The rescission followed years of conservative criticism that NPR and PBS produced one-sided coverage, and came weeks after President Trump's May 2025 executive order directing agencies to stop funding the two networks.
- Outcome: Sustained, July 24, 2025. The rescission became law on July 24, 2025 (Public Law 119-28), eliminating CPB's federal appropriation; no restoration of the funding had occurred in the sources reviewed.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

In July 2025, at the White House's request, Congress passed a rescissions package clawing back about $1.1 billion in funding Congress had already appropriated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the following two fiscal years. The House passed the package 216 to 213, with all but two Republicans in favor, after a Senate 'vote-a-rama' in which nearly every amendment failed along party lines; the measure became law on July 24, 2025, when the president signed it. NPR chief executive Katherine Maher said public funding had supported a distinctive system of cultural and educational programming, while PBS chief executive Paula Kerger said the cuts would fall hardest on smaller and rural stations. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the package an affront to the normal appropriations process, while at least one Republican member said stations, rather than network editorial staff, would bear the consequences.[1][2][3][4][5]

## What reason was given

Supporters of the rescission cited long-standing conservative complaints that NPR and PBS produce one-sided news coverage that should not receive taxpayer funding.[4]

## What changed for reporting

CPB's federal appropriation was eliminated, threatening the operating budgets of public radio and television stations, especially smaller rural and tribal stations that depend most heavily on CPB grants for local news coverage.[2]

## Timeline

- 2025-07-18: Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/donald-trump) | ordered | President of the United States |
| [United States Congress](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/congress-of-the-united-states) | enforced | Federal legislature |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [NPR](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/npr) | outlet | affected |
| [PBS](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/pbs) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5469912/npr-congress-rescission-funding-trump (NPR, 2025-07-18).
2. Public Law 119-28, Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ28/html/PLAW-119publ28.htm (U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2025-07-24).

## Claims cited

[1] NPR's chief executive said federal funding had supported a distinctive system of public programming that would now be lost. Quote: "Public funding has enabled the flourishing of a uniquely American system of unparalleled cultural, informational, and educational programming..." Source: NPR, 2025-07-18. Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5469912/npr-congress-rescission-funding-trump Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/356, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] PBS's chief executive said the cuts would especially harm smaller and rural stations. Quote: "These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas." Source: NPR, 2025-07-18. Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5469912/npr-congress-rescission-funding-trump Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/357, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Senate Minority Leader Schumer called the rescission package an affront to the normal appropriations process. Quote: "an affront to the bipartisan appropriations process." Source: NPR, 2025-07-18. Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5469912/npr-congress-rescission-funding-trump Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/358, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] One Republican member said anger at network editorial decisions should not fall on local stations. Quote: "If you're mad at the editorial people, that's fine. But you shouldn't be mad at the stations." Source: NPR, 2025-07-18. Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/18/nx-s1-5469912/npr-congress-rescission-funding-trump Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/359, checked 2026-09-22.

[5] The Rescissions Act of 2025, which rescinded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's appropriations, was approved (signed into law) on July 24, 2025, as Public Law 119-28. Quote: "(B) Amounts made available for ``Corporation for Public Broadcasting'' for fiscal year 2027 by Public Law 119-4 are rescinded. Approved July 24, 2025." Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2025-07-24. Public Law 119-28, Rescissions Act of 2025 (H.R. 4). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ28/html/PLAW-119publ28.htm Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/489, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-congress-rescinds-cpb-funding. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.