Public media, and the future of local journalism across the country, is facing a crucial moment in Congress right now.
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this upcoming week on H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, which was passed by the House on June 21.
The bill would claw back $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds local public media stations like KCUR and Classical KC, as well as institutions like NPR and PBS.
This will result in an immediate and permanent loss of critical funding and services for KCUR. We would then need to launch emergency fundraising efforts to replace these vital funds.
Congress has a deadline of July 18 to pass the rescissions package for those funding cuts to take effect. Only a simple majority is needed for it to pass the Senate.
Potential scenarios for H.R. 4 currently include:
- A vote in the Senate on the bill as-is. Just 50 senators are needed to pass the measure, with the vice president acting as a tie-breaker.
- Revisions to the bill, which would send the bill back to the U.S. House. If the House accepts the revisions, a simple majority would be required for it to pass.
- Once Congress approves the bill, it would go to the president's desk to sign into law.
- The most unlikely scenario is that the Senate would allow the clock to run out, and the rescissions package would expire.
Some Senate Republicans have signaled a desire to make modifications to the bill. As it stands now, the bill would disproportionately affect rural stations — but all stations would feel an immediate financial impact.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine recently expressed support for preserving federal funding for local stations.
"The vast majority of [CPB] funding — more than 70 percent — actually flows to local television and radio stations," Collins said. "There are, however, more targeted approaches to addressing [concerns about bias at] NPR than rescinding all of the funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."
On Wednesday, Democrats spoke from the Senate floor about the impacts of rescission. "Bottom line: Do you think we’re better off with less information as Americans or more?" asked Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.
"Cutting off [CPB] funding is going to be a death sentence for one of the most reliable sources of news and information that our people rely on," said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon.
The recent catastrophic floods in Texas also highlighted the role public broadcasters play in emergencies.
As a report released by Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell illustrated, "Nearly 13 million Americans live in communities under threat of losing their local public broadcast stations...[this] casts uncertainty on the ability of these stations to disseminate emergency alerts and information to residents when they need it most."
At the same time, however, President Trump this week warned Republicans against rejecting his rescission proposal: "Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement."
Every single vote counts. The rescission package only needs 51 votes in the U.S. Senate to pass — and Vice President J.D. Vance is able to act as a tiebreaker.
There is still an opportunity to protect KCUR and Classical KC, but time is running out.
What can KCUR and Classical KC supporters do right now?
Here are four easy ways you can help.
- Speak up via Protect My Public Media, the nonprofit public media advocacy organization.
- Spread the word. Forward this page or that email above to someone who values independent local news.
- Sign up for email alerts from KCUR so you never miss an update. You can do that below, or by clicking here.
- Support KCUR or Classical KC directly by making a donation.
And if you're already a member, thank you for standing for public media when it matters most.
