Republicans are taking aim at taxpayer-funded media with a new bill that could cut off the financial lifeline for NPR and PBS. If it passes, they’ll have virtually nothing left. The move comes as conservative lawmakers accuse both networks of pushing liberal agendas while being bankrolled by hardworking Americans.
At a glance:
• Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) has introduced the “NPR and PBS Act” to completely defund both public broadcasting networks
• The bill follows a contentious House DOGE Subcommittee hearing where Republicans grilled public broadcasting executives over alleged liberal bias
• NPR’s audience has declined from 60 million weekly listeners in 2020 to 42 million in 2024
• NPR CEO Katherine Maher admitted the network made a “mistake” by not covering the Hunter Biden laptop story
• PBS and NPR currently receive nearly $500 million annually through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Republicans Push to Cut Taxpayer Funding for Public Broadcasting
Rep. Ronny Jackson has introduced legislation aimed at stripping NPR and PBS of all federal funding, citing what he called their transformation into “propaganda machines for the radical left.” The Texas Republican’s bill, officially named the “No Partisan Radio and Partisan Broadcasting Services Act,” would force both networks to operate without taxpayer dollars.
The introduction follows a heated congressional hearing where Republicans led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene grilled executives from both organizations about their alleged political bias. NPR and PBS currently receive nearly $500 million annually through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, supporting hundreds of local stations across the country.
Network Executives Defend Operations While Admitting Mistakes
During the contentious House DOGE Subcommittee hearing, NPR CEO Katherine Maher faced sharp questioning about her network’s editorial decisions and declining audience. Maher acknowledged that NPR had failed to adequately cover the Hunter Biden laptop story, which Republicans have long cited as evidence of media bias favoring Democrats.
“We made a mistake,” Maher admitted when pressed about the laptop coverage. “We were mistaken in failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively and sooner.”
NPR’s audience has dropped significantly in recent years, falling from 60 million weekly listeners in 2020 to 42 million in 2024. Are you surprised?
Trump Supports Defunding Effort Amid Growing Partisan Divide
President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for defunding public broadcasting, criticizing both networks for what he described as biased coverage. Trump’s stance has galvanized Republicans who view the issue as part of a broader fight against perceived liberal bias in media and government spending.
“I think it’s very unfair, it’s been very biased, the whole group,” Trump said. “They spend more money than any other network of its type ever conceived, so the kind of money that’s being wasted, and it’s a very biased view.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who chairs the House DOGE Subcommittee, delivered a blunt message to the public broadcasting executives during the hearing. “We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime,” Greene said.
