Trump-backed DOGE cuts pass Senate: $1.1B slash to public broadcasting including PBS and NPR, $8B to foreign aid

In a narrow 51-48 vote, the US Senate late Wednesday approved a $9 billion rescissions package backed by former President Donald Trump and spearheaded by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The measure, which targets longstanding conservative concerns like public broadcasting and foreign aid, is a major component of the Trump administration's effort to dramatically curtail federal spending and reduce what it deems wasteful government programs.

Amount cut: Nearly $1.1 billion, covering the full amount the CPB was due to receive over the next two years.

Impact: CPB distributes over 70% of its funds to more than 1,500 local television and radio stations. These funds support not just national programming but also vital local public affairs, educational, and cultural content—especially in rural and underserved areas.

Potential consequences:

Smaller stations that rely heavily on CPB funds could shut down or reduce programming.

Reduction in educational programming, including content aimed at children and underserved populations.

Critics of the move, including Republican Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — who both voted against the bill — warned that the cuts could harm essential public services in remote and tribal communities. In response, Senate leaders agreed to a one-time $10 million infusion for tribal broadcasting stations as a concession to holdout votes.

Key foreign aid cuts include:

$800 million: Emergency assistance for refugees, including shelter, sanitation, and family reunification.

$496 million: Food, health, and water aid for countries experiencing natural disasters or conflict.

$4.15 billion: Economic and democratic development programs in emerging nations.

Multiple smaller agency grants earmarked for elimination or consolidation under the Trump-era DOGE mandate.

Programs spared: A planned $400 million cut to PEPFAR (the U.S. program to combat HIV/AIDS) was removed after bipartisan backlash, especially from lawmakers who credited it with saving millions of lives globally.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned the cuts would allow China to fill the void in global influence: “It’s simple incompetence and cruelty based on extreme ideology.”

Supporters of the measure, including Senate GOP leaders like John Thune (R-S.D.), called the move a long-overdue step toward fiscal sanity. “This is a small but important step for fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue,” said Thune , who championed the bill as part of a broader effort to reduce “wasteful spending.”

The bill must be signed into law by midnight Friday for the cuts to take effect. If Congress fails to act by then, the targeted funds remain intact.

The White House has signaled plans to send additional rescission packages to Congress, using DOGE’s findings and the expedited 45-day review window under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act.