Larson Sends Letter to President Trump Condemning Attacks on Public Broadcasting

Washington, D.C. - Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) sent a letter to President Trump condemning his illegal order to defund NPR and PBS, which could cause local stations to shutter and haltnew PBS Kids programming.

"PBS and NPR are critical providers of local journalism, that reflects quality education and emergency notifications, and is accessed by over 50 million Americans weekly, regardless of political affiliation. This executive order is a rejection of the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly support the funding for public broadcasting," Larson wrote.

"This Executive Order amounts to an illegal attempt to overstep Congressional authority. CPB is a nonprofit corporation, created and partially funded by Congress," Larson continued. "I applaud the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's rejection of your executive order, and their courageous plans to continue funding NPR and PBS. Our country's only source of public broadcasting was purposefully separated from the control of the executive branch, and I will continue to support NPR and PBS's efforts to provide news to all Americans in every corner of this country."

Last week, President Trump orderedthe Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to defund NPR and PBS and tried to firethree of its five board members. As a private entity created by Congress, CPB has rejected both illegal directives.

Larson's full letter to President Trump is available HEREand below:

Dear Mr. President,

I stand in strong opposition to your Executive Order titled, Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media, directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to defund the Public Broadcast Service (PBS) and the National Public Radio (NPR). PBS and NPR are critical providers of local journalism, that reflects quality education and emergency notifications, and is accessed by over 50 million Americans weekly, regardless of political affiliation.

This executive order is a rejection of the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly support the funding for public broadcasting, and it is extremely dangerous for rural Americans, whose local PBS and NPR stations are their only source of local media and emergency alert services. Should funding for PBS and NPR be canceled, those rural stations would close, parents across the country would lose educational programming and resources for their children, and local journalism in many places would disappear.

This Executive Order amounts to an illegal attempt to overstep Congressional authority. CPB is a nonprofit corporation, created and partially funded by Congress. As has been widely reported, your Administration is preparing a rescissions package that would require Congressional approval, including a reduction in funding for CPB, which amounts to an acknowledgment that this funding is fundamentally a Congressional prerogative. NPR and PBS have long enjoyed strong bipartisan support from Congress and the American people. Recent polling from the Pew Research Center showed that only 26% of Americans would support eliminating funding for public broadcasting.

I applaud the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's rejection of your executive order, and their courageous plans to continue funding NPR and PBS. Our country's only source of public broadcasting was purposefully separated from the control of the executive branch, and I will continue to support NPR and PBS's efforts to provide news to all Americans in every corner of this country.