Members of North Carolina’s Democratic Delegation sent a letter to senate leaders, asking them to strike cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the recissions package, citing concerns that cuts to public broadcasting will impact emergency disaster communications and response.
On Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance broke a 50-50 tie after three Republicans voted against a motion to send the bill out of the Senate Appropriations Committee to the full chamber. The bill calls for $8.3 billion in cuts to the United States Agency for International Development and foreign aid, and more than $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Representatives Alma Adams, Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee, and Don Davis wrote, “Public broadcasting is pivotal to North Carolina, and across the country, especially during hurricane season and other natural disasters.”
The lawmakers highlighted the impact public broadcasting has on rural communities who often lack access to high-speed internet and cable services, saying, “Public broadcasting reaches these communities via radio and TV over the airwaves without internet. Cutting funds reduces coverage quality and programming reach, leaving vulnerable populations less informed.”
They also drew attention to the impact local journalists have on disaster communications, by tailoring information specific to affected counties about shelters, road closures, and recovery efforts.
“Cutting funds for public broadcasting in North Carolina, and across the country, undermines trusted, accessible, and crucial communication tools during natural disasters," the lawmakers said. "It puts residents, especially those in rural and vulnerable communities, at greater risk by limiting access to live-saving information and recovery resources.”
