Washington, DC - Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri blasted the House Appropriations Committee $100 million funding cut from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The funding cut, which is included in the Fiscal Year 2006 Labor, Health & Human Services and Labor appropriations bill, is so drastic that it would harm every public television and radio station’s ability to provide important, independent programming that is enjoyed by millions of American families.

“PBS and NPR are national treasures that millions of American families trust and enjoy,” said Clay. “The American taxpayer pays just $1 per year, per person, for this amazing, intelligent programming. Public broadcasting is a bargain, and it deserves public support. I will fight to have this vital funding restored.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is the taxpayer-funded agency that provides critical dollars to support public TV and radio across the country. According to a recent independent audience survey conducted by the Roper polling firm, the American people consider PBS among the “most trusted” media outlets. They also ranked PBS as the “second most valuable service” that taxpayers receive from the federal government, outranked only by national defense.