Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) has introduced legislation aimed at cutting federal funding for NPR and PBS, citing concerns over partisan bias. The Defund Government Sponsored Propaganda Act, co-sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), seeks to eliminate taxpayer support for the publicly funded media organizations.
Tenney, a former newspaper owner and publisher, argued that NPR and PBS have shifted away from objective journalism and toward political advocacy. “These taxpayer-funded outlets have chosen advocacy over accuracy, using public dollars to promote a political agenda rather than report the facts,” she said in a statement. She specifically criticized what she described as the influence of “radical left-wing ideologues” such as PBS CEO Katherine Maher.
Senator Lee echoed these concerns, stating that publicly funded media should not have an advantage over private competitors in the media landscape. “Americans have hundreds of sources of news and commentary, and they don’t need politically biased, taxpayer-funded media choosing what they should see and hear,” he said. “PBS and NPR are free to compete in the marketplace of ideas using donations, but their public subsidy should end.”
The proposal is likely to spark debate, as NPR and PBS have long been defended as important sources of public information, particularly in rural areas with limited media options. Supporters argue that public funding helps ensure high-quality, educational programming and independent journalism free from corporate influence. Critics, however, contend that the outlets lean politically left and should rely on private donations rather than taxpayer money.
The bill’s future in Congress remains uncertain, as previous efforts to defund public broadcasting have faced strong opposition from media advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
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