Senators seek to protect rural broadcasters amid push to claw back public media funds

Washington — The Senate is expected to vote next week on a request from the White House to claw back funding for international aid and public broadcasting. But the funding for rural radio and television stations — sometimes an area's sole source for emergency warnings and other news — has sparked concern among some Senate Republicans, especially after the recent devastating flash floods in Texas.

The White House asked lawmakers to rescind $9.4 billion in spending on June 3, starting the clock on a process that gives Congress 45 days to act. The House approved the rescission package last month, and the Senate now faces a July 18 deadline. But a number of Senate Republicans now say they want to see changes to the package. 

Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican who sits on the Appropriations Committee, told reporters Wednesday that he's not comfortable with some of the rescission package's provisions, like cuts to public broadcasting, saying, "That's the reason why we're proposing changes."