Trump asks Congress to rip away funding 1500+ local TV and radio stations count on and key bipartisan investments in America’s global leadership
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump’s request to Congress to rescind $9.4 billion in previously-enacted funding.
“After linking arms with Elon Musk to take a chainsaw to key programs the American people count on, President Trump is now asking Republicans in Congress to rubberstamp his DOGE cuts and codify them into law.
“Trump wants Congress to vote to cut off public radio broadcasts our constituents count on for weather forecasts, emergency alerts, and updates on what’s going on in their community—and force layoffs at local TV stations. And he wants us to rip away lifesaving humanitarian aid, slash PEPFAR and other efforts to combat infectious diseases, and gut programs that enhance U.S. competitiveness, support American business, and counter the Chinese government’s influence. No way.
“This is also just the beginning: Trump plans to come back for more if Republicans codify Trump’s cuts into law. This go around, it’s investments in America’s global leadership and support for over 1,500 local public radio and TV stations that are especially important in rural communities. Next time, it might be funding for cancer research or to help working families afford their energy bills this summer.
“Congress must reject Trump’s request to cut off local news broadcasts and weaken our national security.
“It must also be said: in asking Congress to rescind some of the funding he has been illegally blocking for months, Trump is conceding what we’ve known all along: that Congress—not the President—must approve the rescission or withholding of investments that were signed into law.”
President Trump’s request to use a fast-tracked process to rescind federal funding with a simple majority in each chamber would claw back critical funding that Congress has provided on a bipartisan basis. The fast-tracked process is provided by the Impoundment Control Act (the same law President Trump and his budget director Russ Vought claim is unconstitutional). Under the law, if a bill rescinding some or all of the funding is not passed within 45 days of continuous session, the President must release the funding.
President Trump, of course, has already flagrantly refused to release huge swaths of funding approved by Congress, defying federal law. Earlier today, Senator Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro released an updated tracker chronicling the funding President Trump is holding up—detailing at least $425 billion in funding blocked that is owed to the American people.
More specifics on President Trump’s request will be available HERE later today.
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