Columbia News

Senator Eric Schmitt, representing Missouri in the U.S. Senate, made several statements on July 17, 2025, regarding recent Senate actions and nominations.

In a post published at 00:37 UTC, Schmitt addressed claims about the potential impact of a rescissions package on emergency alerts. He wrote, "Democrats are trying to claim our rescissions package will stop emergency alerts being sent out to Americans. Nonsense. Emergency alerts are sent out & funded by FEMA—and will continue to operate as normal. The Left is desperately lying to protect NPR and PBS. It won’t work!"

Later that morning at 06:36 UTC, Schmitt reported on the results of a Senate vote concerning public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. He stated, "The Senate just officially voted to: • END taxpayer funding for NPR & PBS • Slash BILLIONS of dollars in funding for radical leftist foreign aid programs and NGOs Huge win for America First."

In another post at 14:11 UTC, Schmitt discussed the nomination process for Emil Bove to serve on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. He wrote, " Today, we are voting Emil Bove out of committee. President Trump nominated Emil Bove to serve on the Third Circuit to check rogue left-wing activists who pervert our rule-of-law. My Op-Ep in @DC_Reporter lays out my support of Bove. He is a lawman, through and through."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for managing and distributing emergency alerts across the United States; its operations are separate from funding allocated to public broadcasting entities such as NPR or PBS.

NPR (National Public Radio) and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) have received federal funding as part of their operating budgets for decades. Congressional debates over public broadcasting funding have recurred over time but typically involve only a portion of these organizations' overall revenue streams.

Emil Bove was nominated by former President Donald Trump for an appellate judgeship on the Third Circuit Court—a federal court that hears appeals from district courts in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Virgin Islands.