WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A bill that cuts billions in already approved spending has now reached the desk of President Donald Trump. The House passed a rescissions bill, cutting $9 billion in funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid.
President Trump has been advocating for these cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting for months. Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) proposed cuts to programs it believed were full of waste and fraud. As a result, $8 billion will be cut from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and $1 billion will be cut from PBS and NPR.
12 News spoke to Republican Senator Roger Marshall about the measure. He pointed to the case where a USAID official and three corporate executives pleaded guilty to a decade-long bribery scheme involving more than $550 million in contracts.
“For over two decades, the government accounting office and the inspector general have warned us about USAID and the fraud going on there. And no one’s ever done anything about it,” said Marshall. “To me, it’s about prioritizing. Foreign aid is not as important as securing the southern border.”
On Friday, Smoky Hills PBS, which is located in Salina, said losing the federal funding eliminates half of its annual budget. Leaders with PBS Kansas said its future was uncertain after the recission bill passed in the Senate.
“What Kansans are telling me is they don’t like their tax money being spent on stations that promote DEI and are a spokesperson for the radical left,” said Marshall.
Still, some Wichitans aren’t happy about the cuts.
“I love NPR. I grew up watching PBS. They had great shows,” said Brandon, who lives in Wichita.
Senator Jerry Moran included an amendment in the bill that preserves programs like Food for Peace, a U.S. government initiative that provides food assistance to countries in need, primarily through donations of agricultural commodities.
“I am proud that we were able to save the food aid that’s sent over,” said Marshall. “That was started in Kansas.”
He said the intent of the bill is not to eliminate foreign aid or public television, but others say those reassurances aren’t enough.
“They have great programming, we want them, we need them. If you want to get reelected, don’t go messing with our public TV.”
Marshall said the cuts will go toward reducing the federal debt, which he said is currently at $37 trillion.
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