Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senate Republicans Pushing To Pass A Rescissions Package That Would Gut Funding To Local News Programs And Kill Vital Foreign Aid

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Republicans pushing to pass Donald Trump’s rescissions package that would gut local TV and radio stations, and decimate foreign aid.  Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Fresh off of handing billionaires their largest tax break in modern history – and fresh off passing the most devastating cuts to healthcare and good-paying jobs ever – Republicans want to do it again. 

While Republicans roll out the red carpet for billionaires and special interests, they want to cut funding to local news and cut funding for critical foreign aid that keeps China and Russia at bay.

Americans rely on public broadcasting for weather alerts. And these cuts couldn’t come at a worse time.

The disaster in Texas reminds us that accurate and speedy forecasts are vital to protecting our country and the lives of Americans, and public broadcast is a vital – and often the only – way to get the word out, particularly in rural America.

So, why the hell is the administration so obsessed with cutting these lifesaving services, when they are critical for keeping people safe? We saw what happened when we didn't have those services working full-steam ahead, how many people's lives are endangered and lost, in Texas and around the country.

Public broadcasting does more: it is crucial for Americans to receive the local news, for keeping track of city hall, for understanding what's happening in their local school boards, for updates on public events, festivals, for educational programming, when we know traditional television is having a lot of trouble.

And to be clear, it's not just local news and public radio stations at risk. This package endangers our own national security. American aid is vital for preventing pandemics and diseases throughout the world. Foreign aid helps farmers, it helps American researchers, it helps U.S. businesses.

And more importantly, American aid is vital for holding the line against the Chinese Communist Party and Vladimir Putin. If Republicans eviscerate foreign aid, our adversaries will celebrate America's retreat and move to fill the vacuum.

The worst part is that these rescissions cuts are the beginning only. This package, as bad as it is, is a piece of a larger puzzle for Republicans. Their goal is to use rescissions, impoundment, and pocket rescissions to eradicate any bit of bipartisanship out of appropriations, and that will pave the way for deeper and more serious spending cuts on things like healthcare, food assistance, energy, and so many other areas.

In fact, many in the Freedom Caucus claimed Donald Trump and Republican leaders promised these deeper cuts – by these means – in exchange for their vote on the “Big, Ugly Bill.”

We know that Donald Trump and Russell Vought want to send another rescissions package later this summer. Are they going to make more cuts to Medicaid? Are they going to make more cuts to education or nutrition services or aid for veterans?

Republicans didn't bat an eye when adding four trillion dollars to the debt to lower billionaires’ taxes, but suddenly when it comes to local news and rural radio stations, they balk. They say its waste. Disgusting.

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