(Washington, D.C.) — Our local Congressman wants to de-fund public radio.
Fifth District Congressman Bob Good, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, has introduced the Defund NPR Act. It would block federal funding from going directly toward National Public Radio. It would also block public radio stations that get federal grants from using taxpayer money to buy content from or pay dues to NPR as one of their member stations.
“Government should not be in the business of funding media. And it certainly shouldn’t be funding media that has a clear bias,” Good told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday. “NPR has had a clear left-wing bias for decades. And its growing by the day.”
Good says if the federal government were funding a right-leaning entity, that would not be tolerated. “Could you imagine what would happen if we were trying to get what was recognized as a strong conservative-leaning media organization to get funding from taxpayers?”
Concerns about NPR’s leanings were highlighted last week when now-former NPR editor Uri Berliner wrote an op-ed claiming NPR had lurched to the far left since Trump was elected President. “I used to listen to NPR 35 years ago as a young college student. At the time it was one of the only places you could hear talk radio,” Good said. “Conservative media is thriving because that is what the public wants.”
With a Democratic-led Senate, Good is realistic about the bill’s chances. But he says there are other ways to defund NPR. “Its unlikely the Senate will even take it up. But we can cut this in the appropriations process,” Good said.
According to NPR’s website, most of their funding comes from corporate sponsorships. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which got $535 million in the most recent government spending bill, oversees both NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service.
Good’s bill lists eight co-sponsors. They are: Rep. Perry (R-PA), Rep. Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Bishop (R-NC), Rep. Miller (R-IL), Rep. Clyde (R-GA), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), Rep. Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Harris (R-MD). It is also being backed by the Family Research Council.
Good is running for his third term in Congress this year. He is facing a primary challenge from first-term State Senator John McGuire. The nominee will be decided in a June primary.