CAPAC Chair Meng Denounces Passage of Republican Bill to Defund Sesame Street, Make America Less Safe

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06) issued the following statement after House Republicans passed President Trump's rescissions package: 

“Just weeks after stripping millions of Americans of their health care and taking food away from children and seniors, President Trump and congressional Republicans are continuing their war on working families by gutting the very programs that make America safer, smarter, and stronger. 

“These devastating cuts will shutter locally operated public television and radio stations nationwide. For many children, that means losing access to educational programming like Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. For families in rural and tribal communities, it could mean losing access to emergency alerts during storms and natural disasters. Public broadcasting is a lifeline that cannot be replaced. 

“These cuts are not just dangerous; they cede Congress’s constitutional authority to the executive branch. By approving this rescissions package, Republicans proved they are willing to hand over Congress’s power of the purse to the Trump administration. And mark my words: this administration will not stop until every program that helps everyday Americans is dismantled to fund even more handouts to their billionaire donors.” 

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Founded in 1994, the bicameral Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is composed of 82 members of Congress who advocate on behalf of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The Caucus is led by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was elected CAPAC Chair in 2024.