Congress must address its budget by February 18 to avert a shutdown. When it does that, all discretionary spending is up for debate. That debate frequently includes calls to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS.
Proponents of defunding the CPB generally complain about the cost and the content.
Congress allocates about $445 million annually, or 0.015% of the total annual budget, to the CPB. According to the CPB, that amount breaks down to about $1.35 per American.
“This amendment is simply about priorities and how American funds can be better spent to house, clothe and feed disadvantaged Americans,” late Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) said on the Senate Floor in 1992 in defense of a bill to change CPB’s funding levels.
Some Republicans also argue CPB should not get public money, saying the content it funds is biased. For the past decade, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) has introduced legislation to defund the CPB.
“NPR and PBS have increasingly turned into a mouthpiece for the left,” Lamborn wrote in a news release about his current legislation.
Supporters of public broadcasting say CPB ensures all Americans, even people in rural areas, have access to educational television.
“These stations provide trusted local journalism and high-quality educational programming—and they play a crucial role in public safety,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said in defense of the CPB.