With the funding for National Public Radio and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on the verge of being cut, Democrats are flocking to defend their media allies, claiming that everyone will die forever if federal funds cease to go to these left-leaning entities. It’s a shameless and unseemly talking point with the flash floods that ravaged central Texas and the massive flooding that hit the East Coast in the backdrop. Democrats are claiming that if PBS and NPR are gutted, no one will be able to get alerts for natural disasters. Excuse me while I burst out laughing here:
Amy Klobuchar fearmongers: People will not get alerts for natural disasters without PBS and NPR! pic.twitter.com/EEJQtyBQUX
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) July 16, 2025
Nobody’s flipping on PBS or tuning in to NPR when a tornado siren goes off.
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) July 16, 2025
Let’s be serious, Amy. https://t.co/hid42lFM5F
Chuck Schumer: Sometimes "public broadcasting" is the only way people can get information on natural disasters:
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) July 16, 2025
“It’s a matter of life and death."
The ‘people will die’ talking point was issued over NPR/PBS defunding. Of course it was. https://t.co/6uY2jnEply pic.twitter.com/wQgZqTINeS
Still, nothing is ever easy in the Senate, which is ridiculous given the playbook here. Republicans attempted to do this without crossing the 60-vote threshold for most legislative items, hence the reconciliation and rescissions package. We have a 53-seat majority, but there are always three Republicans who don’t want to be team players.
Last night, it was Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Susan Collins (R-ME). Vice President JD Vance had to break two ties, one to advance the bill and the other to begin formal debate, but the GOP cleared the procedural hurdles, and the rescissions package, which codifies $9 billion in cuts, passed early Thursday morning.
It’s this package that’s the first step toward doing something more significant on spending—Republicans are doing a test-run here. Elon Musk should be happy, but he spent his energy fighting the wrong bill.