Last week, the House of Representatives approved a Trump administration-proposed effort to rescind $1.1 billion in previously allocated funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), cutting all federal support for National Public Radio (NPR), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and all of their member stations.
Previously allocated means the funds were approved in a prior budget proposal, effectively emptying the CPB's coffers. The House vote was 216-213, with all Democrats voting against the cuts and all but two Republicans voting for them.
MAGA Republican President Donald Trump pushed for the cuts on his Truth Social platform in March and April. Trump has a long-running grudge against Sesame Street in particular.
In March, Trump wrote:
"NPR and PBS, two horrible and completely biased platforms (Networks!), should be DEFUNDED by Congress, IMMEDIATELY. Republicans, don’t miss this opportunity to rid our Country of this giant SCAM, both being arms of the Radical Left Democrat Party. JUST SAY NO AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"
In April, POTUS decided his earlier message didn't have enough capitals, so he wrote:
"REPUBLICANS MUST DEFUND AND TOTALLY DISASSOCIATE THEMSELVES FROM NPR & PBS, THE RADICAL LEFT 'MONSTERS' THAT SO BADLY HURT OUR COUNTRY!"
When the cuts were approved on July 18, Trump took to Truth Social to gloat, writing:
"HOUSE APPROVES NINE BILLION DOLLAR CUTS PACKAGE, INCLUDING ATROCIOUS NPR AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING, WHERE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WERE WASTED. REPUBLICANS HAVE TRIED DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS, AND FAILED….BUT NO MORE. THIS IS BIG!!!"
NPR CEO Katherine Maher responded to the cuts, stating:
"Public funding has enabled the flourishing of a uniquely American system of unparalleled cultural, informational, and educational programming, and ensured access to vital emergency alerting and reporting in times of crisis—all for about $1.60 per American, every year. Parents and children, senior citizens and students, tribal and rural communities—all will bear the harm of this vote."
On Monday, Sesame Street responded to the cuts as well.
Initially produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) which later became Sesame Workshop, the children's educational program debuted on November 10, 1969, with the goal of using TV to prepare preschool-aged children—especially those without access to early childhood education—for school.
Sesame Street shared a photo of Big Bird and Snuffleupagus, captioned:
"For more than 50 years, Sesame Workshop has been proud to partner with PBS to bring learning and joy to children across America. Generations of children have benefitted from the public investment that has enabled PBS to do such important work, and the need remains. PBS, we’re so proud to be your neighbor."
People aren't ready to say goodbye to free, public access to Sesame Street and the rest of CPB's radio and TV programming.
Sesame Street had been saved in 2016 from prior cuts Trump made in his 2017 budget by a first-airing agreement with HBO. The premium cable and streaming service funded production to be broadcast exclusively on HBO while allowing the new content to be broadcast on PBS months later.
But that arrangement expired in December 2024 and wasn't renewed.
After Trump's vows to defund PBS, Netflix stepped in to set up an agreement for the 56th season of Sesame Street on May 19, 2025.
However, the Netflix deal allows new episodes to be available on the streaming platform and PBS stations simultaneously. For Netflix, the benefit is the new season and 90 hours of previous episodes will all be available to the streaming service's worldwide audience, not just the United States.
But with Trump and the GOP gutting CPB, there may not be any PBS stations left in some areas to air Sesame Street.
Kids without Netflix may be saying goodbye to Big Bird and company after 56 years, just when many could use their loving, supportive influence in their lives.
How does that make America great?
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