U.S. Representative Mark Harris posted a series of tweets on July 18, 2025, announcing legislative actions by the House GOP targeting federal funding for several organizations.
In his first post at 04:05 UTC, Harris wrote, “PROMISES MADE. WASTE RESCINDED.”
Shortly after, at 04:07 UTC, he stated, “BREAKING: @HouseGOP sends rescissions package to defund USAID, PBS, & NPR to President Trump’s desk!”
Later that morning at 04:45 UTC, Harris commented on the impact of the legislation with another post: “Now that NPR is defunded, it can officially change its name to: National Private Radio”.
Rescission packages are legislative tools used by Congress to cancel previously allocated but unspent federal funds. In this instance, the package targets agencies and organizations such as USAID (the U.S. Agency for International Development), PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), and NPR (National Public Radio). These entities have historically received federal appropriations to support their operations and programming.
The move to defund these organizations aligns with longstanding efforts among some members of Congress to reduce government spending on public broadcasting and foreign aid. Debates over funding for PBS and NPR have recurred in past congressional sessions, reflecting broader discussions about the role of public media and international development programs in federal budgets.
