Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted against President Trump and House Republicans’ rescissions package which cuts $9.4 billion in previously enacted federal funding. The legislation eliminates federal support for public broadcasting and slashes funding for international development and humanitarian programs.

“Republicans’ massive cuts to health care and food assistance apparently were not enough,” said Rep. Sewell. “Their latest bill defunds PBS and NPR, threatening educational programming for our children as well as independent journalism, local sports coverage, and emergency alerts. It also directly undermines our national security by slashing programs that promote global peace and disease prevention.”

“These draconian cuts do nothing to make life better for Americans,” continued Sewell. “They only make us weaker, sicker, and poorer.”

The rescissions package eliminates all federal support—$1.1 billion—for public broadcasting for the next two years. The cuts target PBS and NPR, threatening children’s programming, journalism, local sports coverage, and emergency alerts.

The bill also cuts $8.3 billion from international development and humanitarian programs which support America's national security, promote global peace, and prevent global health crises from reaching our shores, including:

• $900 million for USAID global health programs promoting HIV prevention/treatment and family planning
• $361 million for United Nations international peace initiatives
• $437 million for UNICEF and the UN Women and Child Fund