Jeffries uses Elmo puppet to fight Republican $9 billion spending cuts bill
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made a bold statement on the House floor by bringing along a stuffed Elmo doll to protest against the Republican-led rescissions package. Jeffries accused the GOP of targeting beloved children’s shows like “Sesame Street” in their efforts to slash federal spending.
During the debate over the Proposed Rescissions of Budgetary Resources from President Trump, which aimed to eliminate over $9 billion in unspent or low-priority federal funds, Jeffries used the Elmo doll to highlight the impact on programs like Sesame Street. One of the programs targeted was $3 million in taxpayer support for an international version of Sesame Street in Iraq.
Democrats, including Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, strongly opposed the bill, calling it “cultural and humanitarian vandalism disguised as fiscal responsibility.” Kamlager-Dove even went as far as saying, “While you all have killed off Elmo, I urge my colleagues to vote no on this trash.”
Republicans defended the bill as a necessary rollback of bloated spending, arguing that taxpayer funds should not be used to subsidize public media like PBS and NPR. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise dismissed claims that the bill would eliminate Sesame Street, pointing out that the program thrives on private funding.
Scalise emphasized that while the bill may cut taxpayer subsidies to certain programs, it does not threaten their existence. He argued that there are plenty of options available for the American people to access content and questioned why tax dollars should fund specific media outlets.
The bill, which passed the House in a 214-212 vote, faced opposition from Senate Democrats. Despite the controversy surrounding the cuts to public media and global health spending, the bill is moving forward.
With the ongoing debate in Congress, the fate of programs like Sesame Street hangs in the balance. While Elmo remains silent, the discussion over taxpayer funding for beloved children’s shows continues to spark heated exchanges on the House floor.
