1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

The Trump administration has proposed eliminating all federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), aiming to cut $1.1 billion from various programs. As NYT reports, if Congress agrees, that will amount to about two years of the organization’s funding, nearly all of which goes to public broadcasters including NPR, PBS and their local member stations. Public broadcasting plays a vital role in American society by offering educational content, in-depth journalism, and cultural programming that serves diverse communities across the nation. Federal funding is especially crucial for rural and underserved areas- like much of Illinois- where public stations rely heavily on this support to operate. We urge Congress to reject this proposal and protect public broadcasting. This move is part of a broader initiative to cut federal spending and has been met with criticism from those who value the educational and cultural programming provided by these institutions. For over 55 years, Elmo and his friends on Sesame Street have helped children grow in countless ways—encouraging language development, problem-solving, emotional awareness, empathy, creativity, and even early math skills. Through fun, diverse, and educational programming, PBS has supported generations of kids in learning about themselves and the world around them. Preserving their funding ensures that all Americans continue to have access to high-quality, non-commercial media that informs, educates, and enriches our democracy.