MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We're going to begin with some of the voices in Congress this week. The House voted early this morning, largely along party lines, to approve a request - perhaps more of a demand - by the president.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: On this vote, the yeas are 216. The nays are 213. The resolution is adopted.
MARTIN: The president wanted Congress to cancel funds it previously had approved, and almost all Republicans went along, even as some openly expressed concern about different aspects of the bill.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Two Republicans, Mike Turner of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, joined all Democrats in opposition. Now, this measure claws back billions of dollars in foreign aid and also two years' worth of advanced funding - a total of a billion dollars - for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which makes relatively small grants to NPR and PBS and larger ones to local public media stations across the country.
MARTIN: Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri highlighted one of the arguments against public funding.
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ERIC SCHMITT: We don't have to sit by anymore and continue to send the hard-earned tax dollars that are sent here by the guys that swing the hammer and the gals who drive the trucks back in Missouri, who should be mortified that they're spending money for the head of NPR to call the president a bigot, a racist. Enough is enough.
MARTIN: He's referring there to old tweets by Katherine Maher from before her time as CEO here for which she has apologized. The president's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, made similar claims.
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KAROLINE LEAVITT: These are not honest news organizations. These are partisan left-wing outlets that are funded by the taxpayers. And this administration does not believe it's a good use of the taxpayer's time and money.
INSKEEP: Incidentally, NPR transcripts show that many people who made the claims of bias in recent days have been heard in their own words on NPR News over the years, including the president's budget director, Russell Vought, and a large number of senators and representatives. But in presentations on the Senate floor, lawmakers highlighted other voices in stories they didn't like, such as stories about race or about trans people.
MARTIN: Many Democrats spoke against the Republican move, including Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz.
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BRIAN SCHATZ: Some people are p***ed off about NPR's coverage or PBS' coverage. Come on. You defund an agency because you disagree with their editorial choices? Which country is this?
MARTIN: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pointed to one of the main arguments in support of public radio.
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HAKEEM JEFFRIES: This reckless Republican rescissions package is going to undermine the ability of people in rural America and in small-town America to receive advance warning or necessary information when disaster strikes.
MARTIN: Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska made a similar case on CNN.
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LISA MURKOWSKI: I come from a state that is extraordinarily rural. I come from a state where access to other forms of information and communication may be limited. It may be everything may just come by way of your radio.
INSKEEP: Now, some Republicans talked of the recission differently as a response to an overwhelming need to cut spending. Here's House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who promoted the rescission.
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STEVE SCALISE: Getting spending under control, does it answer all the problems? No. Nine billion dollars, I would say, is a good start. And hopefully we do more things like this.
INSKEEP: Days ago, Congress approved a tax and spending bill that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, adds trillions of dollars of extra borrowing by the federal government. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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