WASHINGTON − Senate Republicans advanced a measure to claw back $9 billion in federal funds, hitting public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. Now, it’s the House’s turn to get President Donald Trump’s requested spending cuts across the finish line.
But what was expected to pass the lower chamber with relative ease on July 17 has been waylaid by other, unrelated legislative debates, including growing calls to release the Jeffrey Epstein case files.
Lawmakers have until midnight on July 18 to approve the cuts. Otherwise, Trump’s official request expires, and current funding that was already approved once previously by Congress remains in place.
In order to meet this deadline, House Republicans have a few final steps to cross − and last-minute hurdles to clear.
Senate swipes Sesame Street dollars
The Senate approved the measure rescinding a combined $9 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and foreign aid agencies including the World Health Organization and U.S. Agency for International Development.
More: Senate approves cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid
About $1 billion of that comes from public broadcasting on a network famous for shows like ‘Sesame Street,’ ‘Frontline’ and ‘Antiques Roadshow.’ Local stations, which are much more reliant on federal grants than their national counterparts, are expected to bear the brunt of lost funding.
The bulk of the cuts target foreign aid, including international peacekeeping efforts and certain global health initiatives.
More: Elmo and AIDS prevention: What is Congress targeting in their spending cuts?
The Senate did nix a $400 million cut to global AIDS prevention, after some Republican senators raised concern.
Crypto drama? Check.
The House spent considerable time this week dealing with one major obstacle to taking up the Trump-backed spending cuts: Legislation dealing with cryptocurrency.
More: What’s a stablecoin? House passes landmark bills to regulate the cryptocurrency
On July 17, the GOP-led chamber finally passed three bills related to the crypto industry and regulation. But that only happened after several days of disputes between Republicans that pushed those votes later into the week − and kept a vote on the spending cuts stuck waiting in line.
How does Epstein weigh into this?
A recent fallout between Trump and his MAGA base over the administration’s Epstein case review has cast a shadow on Capitol Hill and the spending cuts procedure.
Democrats in Congress are leaning on the wedge issue and proposing legislation that calls for the release of documents related to the disgraced financier and sex offender who died in custody in 2019.
More: How do voters feel about Trump team’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein case?
Some Republicans say they want more transparency too and are prioritizing those demands ahead of a funding rescission vote. The internal GOP debate over Epstein-related legislation has clogged up the House’s voting process even further.
When will the House vote happen?
The House could decide on the cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid as soon as the evening of July 17.
But if Republican negotiations over forcing an Epstein-related vote drag on, the unrelated funding bill may be punted to July 18, just before the deadline.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sesame Street, NPR and foreign aid on the chopping block: What’s next?
