Markey: GOP proposal to defund public broadcasting bending to 'extremist Tea Party'
By Sara Jerome - 02/13/11 11:02 AM ET
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) slammed a budget proposal from House Republicans as an effort to appease "its extremist Tea Party caucus," pointing to such spending cuts as the defunding of public radio and TV stations.
House Republicans have proposed to cut funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which oversees money allocated to outlets such as NPR and PBS.
A longtime proponent of federal-funded media, Markey said the proposal "consists of an extreme and arbitrary package of cuts that would slash federal support for public safety, health care and research, public broadcasting, food safety and inspection, and other critical functions of government upon which the public depends."
Cutting public broadcasting dollars could take away a key educational resource, according to Markey.
"By putting the Corporation for Public Broadcasting...on the chopping block, Republicans are denying our youngest children and our neediest students the excellence of educational, cultural and informational resources and opportunities both in their homes and in classrooms throughout the nation," he said.more...
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/143733-markey-slams-gop-proposal-to-defund-npr