The Senate has approved the Trump administration’s $9 billion rescission package aimed at clawing back money already allocated for public radio and television — a major step toward winding down nearly six decades of federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
CPB stands to lose $1.1 billion dollars meant to fund it through the next two years, while the bill also cuts $7.9 billion in other programs. CPB acts as a conduit for federal money to NPR, PBS and their member stations.
In a marathon “vote-a-rama” session that lasted into the small hours Thursday, senators introduced numerous amendments, before ultimately voting 51-to-48 to approve the package that includes cuts to foreign food and health programs. One senator, Minnesota’s Tina Smith, was not present at the vote due to hospitalization.
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