U.S. Rolls Back $9 Billion for Foreign Aid, Public Broadcasters

PBS and NPR executives have criticized a bill the Republican-controlled House passed 216-213 early Friday that cancels federal funding for the public broadcasters.

“These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,” PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement following a Senate vote on Thursday that progressed the bill.

PBS says it gets 15% of its funding from the federal government, and some 70% of total government spending on public broadcasting goes to over 1,500 local television and radio stations.

NPR is also expected to feel the impact of cuts. While the broadcaster receives roughly 1% of its funding from the government, 36% of its funding comes from member stations, which are partly government funded themselves.

“Nearly 3-in-4 Americans say they rely on their public radio stations for alerts and news for their public safety,” CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement.

The bill cuts $1.1 billion in spending for public media and $7.9 billion in foreign aid that had already been approved.

The Senate approved the bill a day earlier in a 51-48 vote after removing cuts for the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS prevention program. PEPFAR, launched by George W. Bush in 2003, is credited with saving over 25 million lives.

Two Republican Senators, Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), joined Democrats in voting against the bill, as did House Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Mike Turner (Ohio).