GOP guts all Federal funding — $1.1 billion — from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, leaving millions of Americans without reliable information during life-threatening emergencies
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite many opportunities to reverse course, Senate Republicans voted to pass a dangerous and widely unpopular rescissions package that claws back $1.1 billion in federal funding previously approved for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds 1,500 local public radio and television stations across the country. The rescission will force many stations to shut down — especially in rural communities — leaving an estimated 13 million Americans without life-saving emergency information.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees public media, issued the following statement:
“Tonight, Senate Republicans pulled the plug on more than 1,500 public radio and TV stations across America – silencing broadcasters that delivered more than 11,000 life-saving emergency alerts last year and a Tsunami warning to Alaskans hours ago. By ripping away funding for these local stations that millions rely on when disasters strike – from flash floods and hurricanes to tornadoes and wildfires – Republicans chose to cut vital public safety communications, threatening rural communities who depend on public media most.”
Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Cantwell spoke from the Senate floor, highlighting multiple natural disasters in the United States over the last decade where internet and cell phone service ceased, leaving the public airwaves as the only reliable source of alerts and information to keep residents out of harm’s way. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s speech is HERE and a transcript is HERE.
Public broadcasting plays an essential role in local emergency response efforts, especially in rural communities where public radio often serves as the primary – or sole – source of local news and emergency alerts. These stations rely heavily on federal funding – many depending on it for over half of their budgets—and would be forced to shut down if cuts are enacted. Last month, Sen. Cantwell released a report showing that millions of Americans live both in communities under threat of losing their local public broadcast stations and at risk of wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods and other weather emergencies where public radio warnings are critical to saving lives. Last week, Senator Cantwell condemned the rescission bill on the Senate floor. In May, Sen. Cantwell and Rick Steves, longtime American Public Television host of Rick Steves’ Europe travel series and host of Travel with Rick Steves on public radio blasted the Trump Administration for its initial assault on CPB.