Donald Trump's Funding Cuts Face Republican Resistance—Can They Pass?

Some Republicans are resisting pushing through President Donald Trump's rescission package, which would codify some $9.4 billion in DOGE budget cuts, including to NPR, PBS and foreign aid.

Trump escalated the stakes for Republicans, issuing a public ultimatum that any senator opposing the cuts would lose his support or endorsement. The bill already narrowly passed the House 214-212, with four GOP representatives—Mike Turner of Ohio, Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Nicole Malliotakis of New York—voting against it. At the same time, the bill has substantial Republican buy-in.

"The first rescissions package is a significant step in the continuing fight to reform Washington by downsizing government, increasing efficiency, and putting taxpayers first," Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, told Newsweek in a statement on Friday.

Why It Matters

The proposed cuts have ignited a national conversation about government spending and freedom of the press. Advocates for the bill, including key Republicans, labeled public broadcasting expenditures as unnecessary and ideologically skewed. Critics warn that the changes would harm local news reporting and reduce educational programming, especially in rural communities.

Senate Republicans face mounting pressure from Trump, who has described the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as worse than mainstream cable news networks and demanded that the Senate follow through with the defunding effort.

What To Know

The Senate has until July 18 to vote on the rescissions package, which would cut $9.4 billion in congressionally authorized funding, including roughly $8.3 billion in foreign aid and about $1.1 billion in funding for PBS and NPR.

"There is absolutely no reason why the American people should be forced to foot the bill for Sesame Street in Iraq, Barbie doll giftbags for illegal immigrants, or purely partisan propaganda," Ernst said. "The first rescissions package is a significant step in the continuing fight to reform Washington by downsizing government, increasing efficiency, and putting taxpayers first."

Republican Communications Specialist T.J. McCormack told Newsweek on Friday: "Removing PBS and NPR from the federal government dole is a no-brainer and a conservative move that's a long time in coming."

"GOP representatives should choose wisely when picking a hill to die on against President Trump, and this ain't it," he said.

Political analyst Larry Sabato described the current political environment as one where "almost all" GOP senators would follow Trump's lead, noting that possible exceptions include Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and maybe a surprise or two.

Others, like Rand Paul of Kentucky, are assumed to be voting for the package, considering Paul's concerns about the deficit. A 50-50 vote is realistic and can pass the chamber with Vice President JD Vance's tiebreaking vote.

"Unless there's been a hidden effort to transplant backbones into GOP senators, it's probable that almost all of them will be the sheep we've seen throughout Trump 2.0....Trump is at the peak of his power, and he's pressing that advantage everywhere," Sabato told Newsweek on Friday. "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin appears to be the only person who's taken a vaccine to survive Trump's anger."

Democrats' response will boil down to "rhetorical pushback and TV/digital ads," he added.

Opponents condemned the proposal as an attack on press freedom.

Political analyst Lisa Durden labeled the bill a "political stunt" aimed at "bullying PBS and NPR," calling Trump's threats "a "blatant attack on the First Amendment."

"Public Television has been a long-standing, trusted, cultural institution that has been a staple for nearly 60 years," Durden told Newsweek on Friday. "Donald Trump's threats to GOP senators who refuse to defund public broadcasting are dangerous and undemocratic."

Additional concerns have been raised about the impact on rural communities, where public broadcasting serves as a primary information resource.

The CPB funds more than 1,500 local stations, with about 15 percent of PBS and up to 10 percent of NPR revenues originating from the federal allocation.

Can Rescissions Bill Pass?

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota can lose three GOP senators yet still get the House-passed bill to the floor and likely passed because of the current Republican majority.

Murkowski expressed concern about CPB cuts and told Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought during a hearing last month: "I hope you feel the urgency that I'm trying to express on behalf of the people in rural Alaska and I think in many parts of rural America where this is their lifeline."

Tillis said Tuesday he was a "lean yes" vote, according to Politico.

GOP Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota expressed hesitancy about the package because of the CPB cuts.

"Whatever form it takes, we can't lose these small-town radio stations across the country that are literally the only way to get out an emergency message," Rounds said, according to Politico.

Collins has expressed wanting to protect funding for PEPFAR, the George W. Bush-era program designed to fight the global spread of HIV and AIDS. However, she hasn't formally offered any changes yet, according to Punchbowl.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on Thursday: "Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Tuesday: "We'll see where it goes. We'll have a lot of conversations about it, and we'll get a better sense of where our members are."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a letter to Democratic colleagues on Tuesday: "Republicans' passage of this purely partisan proposal would be an affront to the bipartisan appropriations process," adding that it would be "absurd" for GOP lawmakers to then "expect Democrats to act as business as usual and engage in a bipartisan appropriations process to fund government."

Senator Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, told Politico on Tuesday: "I'm trying now to determine what amendments I might be able to vote for. So until I know the scope of the capabilities, I'd rather be in a position of keeping my options open."

What Happens Next

The Senate is expected to vote on the rescissions package before the July 18 deadline. Senate leaders from both parties continue to debate possible amendments and the broader implications for U.S. spending and free expression. The final outcome remains uncertain as legal challenges over public broadcasting oversight and funding play out in federal courts.