Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
FACT SHEET: Trump’s Rescission Package Would Shutter Local Public Radio, TV Stations Across America
FACT SHEET: Trump’s Rescission Package Would Gut Bipartisan Foreign Policy Investments
ICYMI: Vought Refuses to Rule Out More Illegal End-Runs Around Congress & Refuses to Detail How Trump Will Execute Cuts If Rescissions Bill Passes
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s floor remarks***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor slamming Senate Republicans for moving forward with President Trump’s devastating rescissions package and continuing to urge a no vote on final passage:
[LAUGHABLE CLAIMS OF “FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY”]
“Two weeks ago, Republicans were jamming through the most expensive bill in the history of the country. And now, they say they are worried about the debt.
“Two weeks ago, Republicans said four trillion bucks in tax cuts for the richest people in the world was nothing—literally. And now, they are saying a truly tiny fraction of that for rural radio is just too much.
“So, I have to ask: Is this a joke? Are they really that bad at math?
“First, Republicans were saying trillions in tax cuts were free. Get real.
“And now, they are pretending to be fiscal hawks by shutting down local news, and letting epidemics go unchecked around the world.
“Well, here’s another math lesson for my colleagues, Republicans could cut every dollar ever spent on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting since it was created—down to the last dime—and it still would not cover the cost of the bill Republicans just jammed through.
“Republicans could actually cut every dollar we have spent on foreign aid since World War II—and that would still fall short compared to the cost of the Republican tax cuts.
“Republicans could even cut the amount in this first rescissions bill—every single day for a year—and it still would not equal their tax cuts to help their rich donors.
“So, make no mistake, if Republicans choose to do Trump’s bidding, if they push through this package to rip away funding for emergency alerts and global health programs, it is not because they take the debt seriously.
[MORE REQUESTS COMING]
“And that will be just as true for the next package, because let’s be clear, if Republicans go along with this package, despite the fact they clearly have issues with it, and despite the fact Russ Vought has refused to answer the most basic questions—even from the Republican Chair of the Appropriations Committee—about which programs he is going to cut.
“If all of that is not enough to give Republicans just some pause, and they let Russ Vought steamroll them through this package, don’t be surprised when he sends more cuts down the pike.
“It could be medical research, and after school programs, maybe heating assistance, workplace safety, road maintenance. Everything is going to be on the chopping block. And all of our time here in the Senate is going to be spent on those requests.
[SPENDING PRIORITIES]
“And here’s the kicker—no matter how many rescissions Russ Vought sends, no matter how many rescissions Republicans roll over and let pass, they will never offset the trillions in tax cuts they just passed without blinking an eye.
“Because you could rescind the entire FY25 spending bill—twice over—and it still would not cover the four trillion in tax cuts Republicans just showered on the richest people in this country.
“So, however this vote goes, expect to hear more from me on this every time Republicans try to pretend we don’t have money for child care, or medical research, or other programs that our families rely on.
“Now, M. President. I’ve said a lot about how patently absurd it is for Republicans to pretend they are passing these cuts because they care about the debt. But I do not want to lose sight of the larger issues. It’s not just that Republicans’ play acting about the debt is absurd, the bigger problem here is that these cuts would be devastating for our communities and for American interests around the globe.
[SHUTTING DOWN LOCAL STATIONS]
“When it comes to local news, these cuts could force local stations that people know and trust—know and trust—off the air. This isn’t just about a program or two taking a haircut. Trump wants to slash every penny of federal funding that supports over 1,500 local TV and radio stations.
“Those stations, and those funds, reach 98% of all Americans. And they are especially crucial for serving our rural areas and Tribal communities. Dozens of these stations rely on these investments for half of their funding, some rely on it for as much as 99 percent!
“If these cuts go through, these stations go dark. Weather forecasters communities have turned to for years, news anchors that are trusted voices, local reporters who track down answers their communities need and hold their officials to account, will be sent packing. And those stations will go silent.
“Do we want our farmers to have good local coverage of weather, and market conditions? Do we want our tribal communities to know what is going on at the state capitol? Do we want families to have updates about the local school board, or community events?
“Because this package of cuts throws all of that in jeopardy.
“To say nothing of emergency alerts. These stations can be a lifeline when disaster strikes. They are a trusted source of information, and sometimes the only source people have access to.
“When the devastating wildfires hit southern California earlier this year, public radio broadcasts let millions of people know how to stay safe. When Hurricane Helene battered North Carolina, a local public radio station was the only source of information for many people.
“And, in fact, many stations use their towers to actually deliver emergency alerts to people’s cell phones when cell towers go down. This funding supports stations who play an integral role in many states’ emergency planning.
“Do you think our communities should have less warning in an emergency? Do you want to leave folks back home with less information when they are in harm’s way?
Well, I guess you vote for this bill if that’s how you feel. Want you to know, I’m a hard no.
[SIDE DEAL TO ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL]
“And let’s not pretend a secret deal from Trump and Vought, to reallocate $10 million dollars, is somehow a serious fix to this. It is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the massive cuts being pushed through here. In fact, it’s less than 1% of the overall funding that this package would rip away for public broadcasting and those alerts.
[KIDS PROGRAMMING]
“And don’t forget, these cuts are going to impact some of our kids’ and parents’ favorite educational shows. Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Daniel Tiger, PBS Kids has a long track record of creating shows that are beloved.
“Not just because they keep kids entertained, but because they are thoughtfully crafted to help them learn and grow, to stoke their curiosity, to teach them caring and empathy. Any parent will tell you that is a worthwhile investment.
“And any parent will also warn you, if you take away shows like this that gets kids engaged and gets them thinking, take that away, then there is an avalanche of brain-rot television that’s waiting to fill that void. Content that is crafted, not to get kids thinking, but to keep them watching at all costs.
“We have to save Sesame Street. We have to tell Trump and Vought, Big Bird is not on the chopping block in this country. And we have to send this rescissions package to Oscar’s place—AKA the trash can.
[AMERICAN INTERESTS ABROAD]
“And M. President, I want to talk as well about the devastating cuts this package proposes to foreign assistance. I thought America’s leadership was important to Republicans?
“But apparently, they want to penny pinch when it comes to keeping our commitments across the world, apparently, they want to save money by letting families starve, and kids die of preventable diseases. Because that is what this package will do.
“And this isn’t some thought exercise—we have already seen how the first round of reckless DOGE cuts are working out.
“There’s already a growing death toll and a huge leadership void that our competitors are racing to fill, people who needed health care—but Elon Musk shut down the only clinic for miles, kids contracting diseases like HIV and Malaria—because Trump totally upended our global health response, and let’s not forget, they’re going to destroy contraceptives we’ve already purchased rather than distribute them.
“And people are starving to death while food supplies from American companies are sitting rotting in ports. That’s another part of why America’s farmers are coming out in opposition to this bill by the way.
“This week, 500 tons of high energy biscuits expired. Food that we already paid for. Food that was meant to save lives. And because Trump and Elon Musk blasted USAID to smithereens and couldn’t be bothered to fix the mess that they caused, this food is now going to be incinerated—even as people we promised to help watch their kids starve.
“That is outrageous, and it is infuriating.
“Is that what Republicans think of as world leadership? Is it leadership to Republicans when Trump fires thousands of State Department workers who keep our nation safe, and make our voice heard in the world?
“Is it leadership to Republicans when we pull investments out of international organizations, and create a void that our adversaries like China will be all too happy to fill?
“We already know the DOGE cuts were devastating. We know that! What I don’t know is why on earth Republicans are getting ready today to double down and codify them by passing this bill. And no—‘because Trump said so’—is not a good answer.
“Especially when it’s clear Russ Vought is the one steering this particular ship. I’m not even sure Trump knows what a rescission is! But I’m sure Republicans know better than to think these cuts will make our nation strong.
“I know that because we passed these investments in a bipartisan way. And because I have heard them speak out about how much they hate these cuts. You can go back and watch our hearing on this, many of our colleagues across the aisle during that hearing voiced deep concern with these cuts, that they now intend to pass today.
“Because we all know these investments benefit American businesses who help feed the world.
“They help stop outbreak, they stop diseases abroad before they spread and threaten us here at home. They help promote stability and avoid chaos and conflict that can put our interests—and our servicemembers—in harm’s way.
“They help us advance America’s interests and keep our country safe and prosperous.
“That’s the smart thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. And of course, it is also the right thing to do.
“So, it’s worth saying, cutting these investments is just down right wrong.
“We should not be voting to let children starve or die from preventable diseases. We should not be voting to go back on our word to the world.
Saving a couple pennies is not worth losing our credibility or causing millions of needless deaths across the globe.
“It is not even close.
[DOESN’T NEED TO BE THIS WAY]
“And M. President. I want to impress upon one final point. And that’s this, it did not have to be this way, and it still does not have to be this way.
“In fact, if Republicans come to their senses, and vote this thing down, we still can go a different route. We can do what we have always done and consider bipartisan rescissions as part of our annual appropriations process. That offer has always been on the table. And it still is.
“I’ve heard Republicans say they don’t like this package, in fact they are trying to dial it back the tiniest bit. I’ve also heard that they don’t want to spend the next several months processing these requests out here on the floor, instead of focusing on our annual funding bills—or any number of other pressing priorities.
“So: don’t vote for it!
“Work with us to write bills that make targeted rescissions on a bipartisan basis. You don’t work for Donald Trump. You don’t work for Russ Vought. You actually work for your constituents. You can put them first. And you can vote this package down.
“That has some real benefits compared to going down the path of this unprecedented—unprecedented— partisan rescissions.
“I am serious—I want my Republican colleagues to think about that. And I mean really think about it.
“For one thing, if we do things the normal, bipartisan way, you get to assert your say as a Senator about what is getting targeted, it’s not just ‘this is what Russ Vought says—take it or leave it.’ You can actually be a part of the discussion and speak out for what is important to you.
“For another thing: If we go the bipartisan route, you don’t have to get jammed by this deadline.
“Instead of rushing through cuts this week without fully getting to consider and debate them, instead of being told ‘No, you can’t change this, we don’t have time.’ We can all sit down, make thoughtful decisions, and maybe even worthwhile changes as we go.
“And here’s an important point, if we do rescissions together through our appropriations bills, instead of just letting Trump and Russ Vought jam through whatever they want, my colleagues would actually know what in the world they are voting for.
[NO INFORMATION ON WHAT WILL BE CUT]
“Because let’s get one thing straight, Republicans don’t actually know what programs are going to get cut if they pass this package.
“We don’t know! It’s one of the great outrages of this package. Russ Vought is just outright refusing to tell us what programs he is going to cut if this package passes.
“At our hearing with him, he refused to go into detail. He stonewalled us. We asked and we asked. The Chair, the Republican Chair, even asked him about this.
“But OMB would not tell us! The question is: What will you cut? The answer has been: Pass it, we’ll see.
“That is why the Republicans decided to protect just a handful of programs without actually reducing the funding associated with them, because they do not know the impact.
“So, they preserve funding for Jordan, Egypt, and a few university partnerships. What about our allies in the Indo-Pacific? What about the implementers of these programs in our states?
“None of us should accept not having those answers. And I’m sure my colleagues were told their priorities won’t be impacted, but Director Vought cannot keep that promise given the scale of these cuts. The math simply does not add up!
“Even if you believe we should make cuts, you should be joining us to demand we actually know what is being cut. And, if we do this the right way, the bipartisan way, we would know. Because we would be writing the bill.
“Now, doesn’t that sound a lot better, than just passing this pandora’s box, and finding out later what got cut?
[IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SENATE]
“Finally, I have said this before, several times, but I want to warn my colleagues once again, if you keep going down this path you are going to further undermine our bipartisan process.
“We have never, never before seen bipartisan investments, slashed through a partisan rescissions package. Do not start now. Not when we are working, at this very moment, in a bipartisan way to pass our spending bills.
“As I said earlier, bipartisanship doesn’t end with any one line being crossed, it erodes, it breaks down bit by bit, until one day there is nothing left.
Sure, a few members may be willing to stick it out and work as hard as they can to get a result.
“But this Senate doesn’t work off a few members—it works off consensus building. And the more bridges you burn, the fewer paths you leave to get things done.
“So, M. President, why go down this partisan path? Why vote to spend the next many weeks considering more of these packages? And why do it for a set of cuts that are so damaging? A set of cuts, many of you have serious concerns with?
“We are at the table right now, the Appropriations Committee, writing bipartisan spending bills. And we can and absolutely discuss bipartisan rescissions.
“Why don’t you join us and make that work easier, instead of making that work harder by passing this bill and setting a very painful new precedent.
“I urge my colleagues to join me in voting NO.”