BREAKING: Trump admin to ask Congress for $9 billion spending cut, including at NPR, PBS, USAID

The Trump administration is looking to ask Congress to cut $9 billion in spending to various programs, including for publicly funded media outlets NPR as well as PBS, first reported by the New York Post. The administration is also looking to cut funding going to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). 

A White House official reportedly confirmed to the outlet that there will be a package request from the White House to Congress after its recess during Easter to cut out around $9.4 billion in spending. Some of it will be coming from PBS, NPR, as well as USAID.

Republicans have long called for spending cuts to PBS as well as NPR, citing perceived left-wing bias at the media organizations.

The outlet reported that the rescissions plan will be cutting $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), which runs PBS as well as NPR. Then there will be cuts of around $8.3 billion from USAID.

A memo from the White House budget director Russ Vought says that the CPB has a “lengthy history of anti-conservative bias” and it also cites “waste, fraud, and abuse” happening at USAID.

“Since day one, the Trump Administration has targeted waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal spending through executive action, DOGE review, and other efforts by departments and agencies. Congress has expressed strong interest in supporting those efforts, and requested the Administration transmit rescissions to the Hill for swift approval,” the memo added.

“OMB recommends the Administration respond with two proposals to cut $9.3 billion. The first includes a rescission of $8.3 billion in wasteful foreign aid spending (out of $22 billion) that does not expire in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The second is a separate rescission of all Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) — which funds the politically biased public radio and public television system.”

The memo from Vought commented on NPR CEO Katherine Maher's previous statements, where she has said Trump is a "fascist" as well as a "deranged racist."

Last month, Maher as well as PBS head Paula Kerger appeared in front of Congress and were grilled on perceived left-wing bias coming from the publicly funded media organizations. Trump has previously indicated that he has wanted defund both NPR and PBS.