Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wielded a doll of Elmo while speaking against a rescissions package that cut funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Thursday.
The White House sent Congress a rescissions package of over $9.5 billion on June 3, which would codify some of the cuts identified by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), including paring back funds for CPB and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Jeffries invoked the popular children’s program “Sesame Street” during remarks on the House floor while holding up the doll of Elmo, a popular character.
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“We’re on the floor of the House of Representatives not debating legislation that is designed to make this country and our economy more affordable but actually debating legislation that targets Elmo and Big Bird and Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street,” Jeffries claimed.
Sesame Street moved first-run episodes to HBO as part of a deal signed in 2015, according to the Hollywood Reporter, after the program lost $11 million in 2014 while first running on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). The program’s producers announced a deal with Netflix on May 19 to bring the show there later in 2025, while allowing same-day episodes to air on PBS.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk stepped down as a White House senior advisor at the end of May after leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after President Donald Trump established it in a Jan. 20 executive order.
DOGE identified $280 billion in savings since Trump established it, an average of $1,118.01 per taxpayer, according to the organization’s website.
The House passed the rescissions package on Thursday on a 214-212 vote, with 208 Democrats among the no votes for the bill.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the final House vote tally on the recissions bill.
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