The U.S. Senate has approved the White House’s request to cancel $9.4 billion in federal spending on foreign aid and funding for NPR and PBS, moving the proposal closer to becoming law. The measure passed late Wednesday in a 51-48 vote and now heads to the House of Representatives, which is expected to give final approval by July 18, according to CNN.
If the House passes the bill, it will go to President Donald Trump for his signature. The proposal stems from a June request by the White House to Congress to revoke previously approved spending, which the Department of Government Efficiency labelled as “wasteful.”
In early May, President Trump signed an executive order cutting federal funding for NPR and PBS, accusing the broadcasters of “biased reporting.” The move prompted a lawsuit on May 27 from NPR and several Colorado radio stations, who argued that the funding cuts were an attempt to undermine press freedom.
