Senator Ed Markey condemned President Trump's funding cuts to public broadcasting, calling the move 'outrageous and reckless.' He emphasized that public television, including shows like 'PBS NewsHour' and 'Sesame Street,' empowers viewers, especially children. Meanwhile, details emerged regarding the White House's plan to potentially withhold funding. This rescission maneuver has been used infrequently, and if Congress does not act on it, funding will return to its original allocation. NPR and PBS have other funding sources but federal aid plays a significant role in their financial stability.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) blasted the Trump plan, calling it "an outrageous and reckless attack on one of our most trusted civic institutions... From 'PBS NewsHour' to 'Sesame Street,' public television has set the gold standard for programming that empowers viewers, particularly young minds. Cutting off this lifeline is not budget discipline, it's cultural sabotage."
The rarely used rescission maneuver can be approved by the Senate with a simple majority, as it is not subject to a filibuster. "Presidents have used the rescission procedure just twice since 1979-most recently for a $15 billion spending cut package by Trump in 2018. That effort failed in the Senate," Bloomberg wrote.
Bloomberg reported that the White House "plans to send the package to Congress when lawmakers return from their Easter recess on April 28... That would start a 45-day period during which the administration can legally withhold the funding. If Congress votes down the plan or does nothing, the administration must release the money back to the intended recipients."
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