(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate will vote on a Recissions Package that would cut $1.1 billion from public broadcasting after the measure narrowly passed the House 214-212.
The Recissions Package, worth a total $9.4 billion, would also make major cuts to foreign aid focused on climate change prevention. Only four Republican members of the House voted against the package, including Nevada’s U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City.
“Before we trigger major consequences for our local public broadcasting stations throughout the West and other rural areas, we need more discussion — rather than railroading folks over the East Coast’s editorials and indiscretions,” said Amodei in a press release after the vote. “I agree we must make meaningful cuts to shrink our federal deficit. However, I would be doing a disservice to the thousands of rural constituents in my district if I did not fight to keep their access to the rest of the world and news on the air.”
Amodei represents the largely rural Second District, which sprawls all of northern Nevada and is mostly served by National Public Radio station KUNR and PBS Reno (TV station KNPB), both based in Reno.
KUNR has said the federal removal of the already approved public broadcast budget for 2026-2027 would remove 15% of the station’s budget. PBS Reno has not released any estimate, but the PBS station in Las Vegas said it would lose 12% of its budget.
“This is a critical moment,” said KUNR in a statement on the cuts. “What happens next will decide whether public media can continue to serve our communities across the U.S. or be forced to scale back the work that matters most.”
NPR member stations have experienced a slow decline over the past decade. Many of the station closures have occurred in rural areas, where the cuts are expected to have the most severe impact.
President Donald Trump called on Republican congressional members to vote the public broadcast funding cuts through, calling it a “no brainer.” He added, “Every single Republican in Congress should vote, ‘YES.’” President Trump made the call to action through his privately-owned social media platform Truth Social.
PBS Reno said over 542,000 tune into their programming every month, which includes local hits like “Wild Nevada.”
The U.S. Senate vote will likely occur by July 18, where the Republican Party holds 53 of 100 seats. The GOP will only need 50 votes to pass the cuts because Vice President J.D. Vance, a Republican, casts tie-breaking votes.
Nevada’s two U.S. senators – Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen – are expected to vote against the cuts.
“Our local stations are dedicated to serving their communities, but their ability to continue offering free, high-quality programming would be eliminated if the federal funding is rescinded,” said Amodei. “Rescinding this funding also would isolate rural communities, jeopardizing their access to vital resources they depend on.”
Amodei added that public broadcasting accounts for 0.01% of the federal budget, calling into question why the cuts have become a target of the administration’s goal to reduce the debt and deficit. “But it will dismantle a trusted source of information for millions of Americans.”
