Examiner #6 - NPR and PBS

Dear Friends, 

A bill that would claw back $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting, passed

through the House Rules Committee, preparing for a floor vote.

The Trump administration sent a rescissions package to Congress rescinding funding to foreign aid programs, along with public broadcasting. If the bill passes, it will zero out $535 million in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the next two fiscal years, even though it was already allocated. Lets be very clear, to “claw back” funding is defined as an entity, (our government) taking money back in one way that it has already given in another way.  (The CPB is the non-profit corporation set up by Congress to distribute federal funding to public media stations, PBS, NPR and other entities.)

House Republicans are moving to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by

Congress as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to follow through on work by the

Department of Government Efficiency.

The package to be voted on Thursday (today) targets foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides money for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, as well as thousands of public radio and television stations around the country.

The Trump administration is employing a tool rarely used in recent years that allows the

president to transmit a request to Congress to cancel previously appropriated funds. That

triggers a 45-day clock in which the funds are frozen pending congressional action. If Congress fails to act within that period, then the spending stands.

Why is this tool being employed? The benefit for the administration of a formal

rescissions request is that passage requires only a simple majority in the 100-member Senate

instead of the 60 votes usually required to get spending bills through that chamber. So, if they stay united, Republicans will be able to pass the measure without any Democratic votes.

Most of us support our public media. Clawing back this funding – about $1.60 per person

each year – would not just force stations to scale back – it would dismantle essential

services that countless communities count on. 

From life-saving emergency alerts to local reporting and storytelling, and educational resources that support families, job seekers and teachers – these services exist because public media is committed to serving everyone, regardless of income or zip code. In many rural and underserved areas, the loss could be total. Stations could shut down entirely, leaving entire communities without access to trusted, essential information.

Please consider contacting your federal elected officials, your congressperson and your senator. If you have the time and the desire, please call #202-335-6941, to be connected to your congressional office.

Take a stand for the local stations and programs you love!

Sincerely,

Engage Women