Sen. Hirono: “By cutting funding for public broadcasting, this bill will jeopardize public broadcasters and the lifesaving service they provide.”
~ Video of Senator Hirono’s floor speech can be found here ~
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as Republicans worked to claw back $9 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) offered a measure to restore funding for broadcasting stations that participate in the Emergency Alert System, the country’s national public warning system used to disseminate important time-sensitive information, including weather and AMBER alerts. Prior to the vote on her measure, Senator Hirono took to the Senate floor to highlight the importance of public broadcasters and the crucial emergency alerts they provide to communities, particularly those in rural areas.
“Public broadcasters are essential to rural communities, often serving as the only emergency alert system when disasters or emergencies occur,” said Senator Hirono during her remarks. “These alerts can mean the difference between life or death.”
Specifically, Senator Hirono’s measure would have ensured that no public broadcasting station that participates in the Emergency Alert System would lose funding as a result of the Republicans’ rescission bill.
“By cutting funding for public broadcasting, this bill will jeopardize public broadcasters and the lifesaving service they provide,” continued the senator. “As natural disasters increase in frequency across our country, this motion will help protect our communities and ensure they can get timely, life-saving information when disaster strikes.”
The full transcript of Senator Hirono’s speech is available below. Video of Senator Hirono’s floor speech is available here.
Mr. President, public broadcasters are essential to rural communities, often serving as the only emergency alert system when disasters or emergencies occur. These alerts can mean the difference between life or death.
Public broadcasters around the country, especially those in rural communities, rely on significant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is why Congress has consistently provided CPB funding on a bipartisan basis. By cutting funding for public broadcasting, this bill will jeopardize public broadcasters and the lifesaving service they provide.
My motion to recommit would ensure that no public broadcasting station that participates in the Emergency Alert System would lose funding as a result of this bill. As natural disasters increase in frequency across our country, this motion will help protect our communities and ensure they can get timely, life-saving information when disaster strikes.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this motion.
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