Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce

SUPPORT OF AMENDMENT TO RESTORE FUNDS
FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

June 23, 2005

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment to restore funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This is money that Congress has already authorized for public broadcasting; now my friends on the other side of the aisle are taking it away.

Today’s debate is laced with irony because for millions of Americans, there is simply no debate over the importance of public broadcasting. The educational and cultural enrichment that public broadcasting has brought to the lives of all Americans is a success story we can all be proud of. Today, we test our willingness to sustain this success story for future generations.

I commend my colleagues Reps. Obey, Lowey, and Leach for their amendment. But this amendment should never have been needed. There is no justification for cutting public broadcasting funds in the first place.

Public broadcasting is a highly-valued national investment that generates exceptional returns to local communities across our Nation. To preserve the highest quality programming and commitment to public service, public broadcasting must remain not only fully funded but also insulated from political pressures.

Every Democratic Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce recently signed a letter in support of restoring full funding for all public broadcasting programs, including funding for digital conversion and an upgraded satellite interconnection system. Some of these vital funds remain zeroed out which I hope we can rectify later.

Mr. Chairman, this important amendment values our children and the in-depth journalism and lifelong learning that sustains our democracy. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, lest we be accused of “knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing.”

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(Contact: Jodi Seth, 202-225-3641)