Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) is taking aim at NPR and PBS in order to help taxpayers save their hard-earned money.
On Monday, he unveiled legislation to slash federal funding to the outlets in the form of the “No Propaganda Act,” the Washington Examiner reported.
During a speech on the Senate floor, Kennedy said:
We’re spending half a billion dollars a year, 14 and a half billion dollars over time, to give to people at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and NPR and NPS [sic] to participate in opinion journalism, which they’re entitled to do — but they can’t do it on the taxpayer dime. They’re doing it on the taxpayer dime, but they shouldn’t be able to.
…
And you know what? Despite all of this money that the American taxpayers are giving to these left-of-center entities, their viewership has declined. Because people don’t need them anymore.They can go exist on their own if they want to, but I do want to defund them. We’re running $36 trillion in debt. This is disgraceful in 2025. It’s disgraceful whether it is left-of-center opinion journalism or right-of-center opinion journalism. It is disgraceful for the American people to have to fund this rot.
“NPR just bought a $200 million office space just up the road from the Capitol,” Kennedy said. He noted that hosts make over $500,000 annually, while its chief diversity officer rakes in more than $300,000 per year:
NPR and PBS are entitled to do opinion journalism—but they can’t do it on the taxpayers’ dime.
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) March 3, 2025
My No Propaganda Act would make sure Americans aren’t funding this rot. pic.twitter.com/XCcvAPMmYv
Social media users were quick to reply to Kennedy’s announcement, one person writing, “Good on you. That’s our money they’re giving away to leftist organizations. Stopped watching PBS ages ago.”
“If they can’t break even or make a profit on their own, get rid of them. Obviously the American public doesn’t want them,” another user commented.
In January, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS over concerns the outlets “could be violating federal law by airing commercials,” according to Breitbart News.
The outlet also reported recently that “Congressional Republicans and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are targeting taxpayer-funded NPR in their effort to cut waste, fraud, and abuse.”
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