WASHINGTON – It’s been 34 days since the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill (Labor H) passed out of Committee, but the House Republican Leadership still refuses to bring it to the floor.

It’s not because they’ve been too busy, exactly. Last week, the House didn’t have votes on Monday until 6:30 PM. Votes were done by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, the House wasn’t even in session.

So why not take up the must-pass annual funding bill?

Maybe the Republican Leadership prefers to avoid yet another public fight on yet another round of unpopular cuts to funding for Public Broadcasting.

Public Broadcasting faces $95.5 million in cuts in the Labor H bill.

• The bill would eliminate two Department of Education programs – Ready To Learn, which has produced such acclaimed children’s programs as Sesame Street, Between the Lions and Maya & Miguel, and Ready To Teach, which supports Internet-based teacher professional development.
• Funding provided last year to help stations with digital conversion required by the FCC ($29.7 million) and satellite upgrades ($34.7 million) is zeroed out. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will have to pay for these costs out of its base budget, resulting in cuts to community service grants for local public television and radio stations. (see chart)

Worse still, the bill ends the 30-year practice of providing two-year advance appropriations for public broadcasting, providing no funding for FY 2009. Advanced appropriations are necessary to insulate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from political interference and provide lead time for program planning.

*Reflects a one percent, across-the-board cut made to all appropriations last year.

Note: Dollars may not add due to rounding.

Click here for a chart that shows what these cuts would mean to local stations.