The country’s two biggest broadcasters, National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), are under scrutiny from GOP lawmakers for alleged partisan reporting.
NPR and PBS have faced consistent accusations of being biased towards the left and progressive ideals.
Both news networks were created to produce fact-based reporting on issues relevant to American audiences.
However, the networks have faced mounting accusations of having lost sight of their original purpose.
A recent hit-piece from a departing NPR journalist, for example, claimed the network’s “open-minded spirit no longer exists.”
Conservatives have repeatedly attempted to lessen PBS and NPR’s bias through funding cuts, but these have never been executed.
Republican lawmakers like Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY)have previously introduced various bills defunding NPR and PBS to no avail.
However, President Donald Trump’s recent comments endorsing the defunding idea may have given GOP lawmakers the necessary political capital to finally reduce NPR and PBS’ funding.
“I would love to do that,” said President Trump when asked if he would support defunding PBS and NPR. “I think it's very unfair, it's been very biased — the whole group... the kind of money that's being wasted, and it's a very biased view."
Trump’s comments could bolster legislation, like that recently introduced by Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL) Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) , designed to do just that.
Representative Cammack and Senator Bank’s Defund NPR Act amends section 396 of the Communications Act (47 U.S.C. 396), to ensure no federal funds, direct or indirect, support NPR, including dues or programming purchases.
“Federal funds shouldn’t be available to NPR,” claimed Cammack. “For too long, NPR cherry-picked its coverage in favor of its majority Democrat listeners—87 percent according to a Pew Research Survey”
The bill currently sits in the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and is expected to be debated in the coming weeks.
