The $9.4 billion rescissions package — already passed by the House — proposes cutting $1.1 billion allocated to NPR and PBS. The move has ignited fierce debate among lawmakers, even within the

PBS’s Paula Kerger said that federal cuts to public media will harm local member stations — especially ones in rural America — the most.

Paula Kerger, PBS president, warns that a $500 million funding cut could severely impact rural stations, eliminating up to 50% of their resources and jeopardizing educational programming.

The House passed the rescissions package last month, 214-212, with four Republicans joining all Democrats against. In the Senate, some Republicans want to revise the rescissions package, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said on Wednesday that there would likely be an “amendment process” during next week’s vote.

Republican officials criticized PBS Kansas for running an ad asking viewers to contact senators about preserving funding, as the Senate prepares to vote on public media funds.

"I would encourage PBS & NPR to focus more on how they managed to lose America’s trust. That is their problem, not Congress’s work to ensure good stewardship of taxpayer dollars," Carr says

Trump and GOP members of Congress accuse the public broadcasters of biased and "woke" programming. Trump plans a rescission, giving Congress 45 days to approve it or allow funding to be restored.

In an executive order, President Trump directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding NPR and PBS, the nation's primary public broadcasters.

President Trump has ordered the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to end federal funding for PBS and NPR, alleging that they are biased.

Republican lawmakers this week could approve deep cuts to the the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — but the threat is far from fresh, building on decades of attempts to strip support from public broadcasting.