Statement Supporting Federal Funding of National Public Radio

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1076.

Without so much as a single hearing, the legislation being debated today would dismantle a public radio system depended upon by 34 million Americans weekly, many of whom are from rural America.

In fact, in many rural areas of our country like the one I represent, public broadcasters are among the few journalists still around who actually deliver local news to residents.

One needs to look no further than last week's massive earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami that devastated communities on the west coast to understand how important public broadcasting is in these rural areas.

A small community in my district, Crescent City, California was hit the hardest. Eight foot waves of water destroyed the city's harbor, caused over $36 million dollars in damage, and took the life of an individual who was swept into the sea.

When the tsunami warnings were first issued, KHSU public radio, the most-listened-to station on the North Coast of California, broadcast essential information to the people of Crescent City and the surrounding areas.

KHSU was on the air with tsunami warnings by 6 a.m. local time--telling residents to evacuate the low coastal areas, announcing school closings, and letting people know where emergency shelters were located in both Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

KHSU kept up with this information until the warning was lifted later in the afternoon.

This critically important local coverage was coupled with breaking news from NPR about the earthquake in Japan, the tsunami warning for the entire west coast, and the science and analysis behind this event and how it can affect us--immediately and in the long run.

If H.R. 1076 is passed into law, KHSU would be prohibited from using CPB funds to acquire this necessary programming in the future, even though it was critically important during this local emergency.

There is no doubt that public radio's ability to effectively serve rural America will be permanently impaired if this legislation is signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to protect this critically important resource and vote against H.R. 1076.