This week the Senate is considering stripping over $500 million in funding for NPR and PBS, with over $1 billion to be cut from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Conservative critics have long considered NPR, PBS, and their parent CPB, to be leftwing propaganda outlets funded with taxpayer dollars.
Senate Republicans such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Joni Ernst of Iowa have accused NPR and PBS of being blatantly biased in favor of Democrats.
Note: The Media Research Center urges you to let your Senator know your opinion on NPR and PBS funding before the vote, call Senators at 202-224-3121 or Go Here Now
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., indicated he might oppose the bill, but announced Tuesday on X he plans to vote in favor of the recission.
Sen. Rand Paul has also come out against continued funding.
"You know, I got my start on public television, KET in Kentucky, being a commentator for my taxpayer group that I started," Paul told "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "So, you know, I am not an enemy of public TV.
"But at the same time, we have a $2 trillion deficit. And what we'll be presented with is a $9 billion cut in spending. And can we and should we at least start cutting $9 billion? Yes."
The CPB, established in 1967, distributes federal funds to public broadcasters, with NPR and PBS receiving indirect support through local stations and grants.
Critics contend this funding — totaling around $1 billion annually — is wasteful, obsolete in a media-saturated era, and props up leftwing slanted programming.
These arguments have intensified under President Donald Trump's second term in 2025, where proposals to rescind funding have gained traction in Congress.
Trump administration officials see the funding as "corporate welfare" for outlets that can attract private donors and advertisers.
The White House issued a fact sheet in May 2025 stating that Trump's executive order would "end the taxpayer subsidization of biased media" by prohibiting CPB funds from flowing to PBS and NPR.
Conservative commentators, such as those from the Media Research Center (MRC), echo this, noting that taxpayers should not be forced to fund liberal-leaning media when conservatives are not subsidized for outlets like Newsmax, Fox News, or Breitbart.
Critics claim NPR and PBS provide nothing unique anymore, with services like emergency alerts replicated by all broadcasters, cell phones, and private apps.
The MRC has debunked claims that defunding would endanger lives, pointing out that the Federal Communications Commission requires every broadcaster to handle alerts, and 98% of Americans have cell phones for notifications.
In June, the House narrowly approved legislation to claw back $1.1 billion in funding for public media over two years.
Trump's May executive order directed the CPB to halt funding, labeling NPR and PBS as "radical propaganda."
By July 15, 2025, Congress faces a deadline to approve recissions, including cuts to NPR/PBS and foreign aid, with GOP lawmakers like Rep. Scott Perry calling it a "no-brainer" to slash funding due to perceived bias.
However, some moderate Republicans, such as Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have resisted, drawing ire from conservatives who accuse them of blocking "basic DOGE cuts."
Collins, however, has stated that while she supports renewed PBS funding, she opposes public support of NPR.
The Heritage Foundation argues that NPR and PBS have "dug their own graves" through quantifiable bias, making them unworthy of subsidies.
Critics like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have led hearings accusing public media of anti-rural and liberal biases.
Conservatives argue NPR and PBS exhibit bias through negative framing of Republicans and positive treatment of Democrats.
A former NPR editor, Uri Berliner, published a 2024 essay accusing NPR of coalescing around a "progressive worldview" and seeking to "damage or topple Trump's presidency."
PBS has been accused of anti-conservative bias in shows like "Washington Week," with coverage described as "93% negative" toward Republicans.
Studies claim NPR relies on "elite and influential sources" that dominate mainstream media, skewing left and failing to reflect American diversity. Pew surveys show NPR's audience is 67% liberal, indicating programming appeals to — and reinforces — left-leaning views.
Critics note that of NPR's board of 87 members, all are Democrats. They also point to its CEO Katherine Maher as a liberal activist who has called Donald Trump a "racist"
The New York Post reported that in 2020, Maher, in the wake of the George Floyd riots, "attempted to justify the looting epidemic in Los Angeles as payback for the sins of slavery."
"But it's hard to be mad about protests not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression founded on treating people's ancestors as private property," Maher wrote on Twitter.
Supporters of NPR and PBS have no need to worry if the funding does get cut.
Federal funding amounts to only 2% of NPR's budget and 15% of PBS's, according to The New York Times.
Important: The Media Research Center urges you to let your Senator know your opinion on NPR and PBS funding before the vote, call Senators at 202-224-3121 or Go Here Now
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