Aderholt, Greene Seek Content Assurances Before More Funding for Public Broadcasters
GOP leaders on the House Appropriations and Oversight subcommittees said in recent interviews that they want public broadcasters to demonstrate that they're addressing claims of pro-Democratic Party bias in their content before lawmakers will consider giving NPR and PBS more federal funding. Capitol Hill Republicans have scrutinized public broadcasters over bias claims since mid-2024 and amplified efforts to end their federal funding since getting unified control of the White House and Congress in January. House Oversight’s Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee plans to press NPR and PBS leaders on Republicans’ bias concerns during a Wednesday hearing (see 2503200058), which is likely to become a showdown on the funding issue.
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House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman Rob Aderholt of Alabama told us he and other Republicans want “an assurance” that federally funded content will be “fair and non-biased” before backing further funding for CPB, NPR or PBS. “I think Congress would have to be satisfied that [public broadcasters are] going in the right direction” on their content policies as “we look at their funding” for the upcoming FY 2026 appropriations cycle, he said.
“I’m finding a lot of members who want to zero out [CPB funding]” amid the pro-Democratic bias claims and Republicans’ push for budget cuts in collaboration with the Trump administration, Aderholt told us. Republican lawmakers have filed several measures this year to halt funding to NPR, PBS and CPB, in part citing bias claims (see 2502110072). Some proposals would also claw back advance appropriations made to the broadcasting entities. House Appropriations Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to end CPB’s advance money during the FY 2024 funding cycle (see 2307140069).
House DOGE Chair Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told us before the subpanel’s hearing announcement that she wants PBS CEO Paula Kerger and NPR CEO Katherine Maher to explain “why they need taxpayer funding and the type of reporting” that existing federal money has already paid for, given Republicans’ bias claims. The Wednesday hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in HVC-210. Greene indicated that she opposes continuing further federal funding for what she considers “one-sided” reporting.
Senate Appropriations LHHS Subcommittee Chair Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she agrees with “the spirit” of proposals from Aderholt and other Republicans pushing for more neutral coverage from public broadcasters, although “I’m not sure” yet how lawmakers can obligate that via the funding process. “There definitely is an issue” of pro-Democratic bias, “particularly on the radio side,” Capito said. “I’ve brought it up to” the public broadcasters in recent meetings.
Conversely, Senate LHHS member John Kennedy, R-La., said a change in content wouldn’t cause him to back further federal funding for CPB or other public broadcasting entities. “I just don't think the news media needs to be subsidized by the American people, no matter what the content,” he said. Kennedy led the filing last month of the upper chamber's version of the No Propaganda Act (HR-1211/S-519) to block federal CPB funding over claims of “chronically biased” NPR content (see 2502120044).
Democrats See Nonstarter
Senate LHHS ranking member Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin told us that any content-based riders on CPB funding would be a nonstarter for her and other Democrats. Public broadcasters are “already non-biased,” despite Republicans’ criticism, she said. Baldwin emphasized that appropriations measures still require bipartisan support to move in the Senate, which is why Republicans dropped previous attempts to zero out CPB funding.
House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Doris Matsui, D-Calif., told us she “can’t believe” Republicans would try to move forward on content-based riders. She said Republicans know that public broadcasters play a significant role in informing people in “the most rural areas” of the U.S., many of which GOP lawmakers represent.
Attorneys who represent public broadcasters told us they don’t expect PBS and NPR to make commitments to lawmakers about changing their content. The two entities are differently situated -- NPR creates a lot of news content, while PBS creates almost none, industry officials told us. PBS News, which produces the PBS NewsHour, is a subsidiary of the Washington, D.C., PBS station, WETA-TV. The attorneys said House DOGE aims to create a spectacle at the hearing, and what Kerger and Maher say likely won’t matter much to opponents on the subpanel.
America’s Public Television Stations President Kate Riley said public TV stations “are grateful for the bipartisan congressional support for the continued investment in the work of public television and the essential services local stations provide all Americans.” She said stations are “committed to serving the broad range of interests in their communities” and strive to “offer a mix of local, independent and national programming that represents the broad tapestry of experiences and viewpoints in their communities.” PBS and NPR didn’t comment.