Washington: The House gave final approval to President Donald Trump’s request to claw back about USD 9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programmes they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda.
The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and the White House suggested it won’t be the last. Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda.
Opponents voiced concerns not only about the programmes targeted, but about Congress ceding its spending powers to the executive branch as investments approved on a bipartisan basis were being subsequently cancelled on party-line votes. They said previous rescission efforts had at least some bipartisan buy-in and described the Republican package as unprecedented.
No Democrats supported the measure when it passed the Senate, 51-48, in the early morning hours Thursday. Final passage in the House was delayed for several hours as Republicans wrestled with their response to Democrats’ push for a vote on the release of Jeffrey Epstein files.
The package cancels about USD 1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and nearly USD 8 billion for a variety of foreign aid programmes, many designed to help countries where drought, disease and political unrest endure.
A heavy blow to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The cancellation of USD 1.1 billion for the CPB represents the full amount it is due to receive during the next two budget years.
The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense.
The corporation distributes more than two-thirds of the money to more than 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of the remainder assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service to support national programming.