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Rep. Becca Balint Slams Republican $9 Billion Federal Funding Clawback

Washington, July 18, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) released the following statement on the passage of the rescissions package, which slashes $7.9 billion from international development and humanitarian programs, and $1.1 billion from public media. 

“This rescissions package is a betrayal of working families, especially in rural communities like Vermont,” said Rep. Balint. “Millions of Americans rely on our public broadcasting system for free and factual news coverage and programming, including lifesaving emergency alerts. This is clearly not about cost-cutting, as Republicans just voted for huge tax cuts for billionaires. It’s about prioritizing the ultra-rich and leaving rural communities vulnerable.”

These cuts would continue the reckless agenda started by Elon Musk and weaken the United States’ power around the world. This terrible bill comes on the heels of  Republicans' cuts to Medicaid and food assistance—all to fund tax cuts for billionaires.

This Republican package hurts hardworking American families by:

  • Harming millions of preschool-age kids (and their families) that currently benefit from PBS Kids children’s educational programs, such as Sesame Street or Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, that improve children’s literacy and math skills. 
  • Terminating $1.1 billion in funding for public television and public radio, including funding that is allocated directly to more than 1,500 locally-owned public television or public radio stations. 
    • Vermont stations received more than $2 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Fiscal Year 2024.
  • Hurting rural communities, as locally-owned public television stations and public radio stations are often the only trusted and reliable news source available, as well as the only coverage of local high school sports. 
  • Threatening public safety and disaster response, as public television and public radio provide emergency alerts even when other communications systems go down.
  • Cutting global health programs and undermining America’s global leadership and security.

 

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