1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

President Trump has requested the removal of $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting. This includes PBS and public radio, but also countless local stations that depend on that funding, and which Americans across the US rely on. These services have worked hard to remain nonpartisan, non-commercial, and focused on delivering quality programming and news coverage. Many Americans, especially rural and low-income homes, rely on public broadcasting for emergency notifications, educational programming, news, and public safety. The scale of funding is not an issue either: that amount of money may be vital to a small, local news station, but $1.1 billion is a drop in the bucket compared to other government expenses, such as defense spending, environmental spending, and behemoths like social security. Make no mistake: the only reason the Trump administration is targeting broadcasting funding is because it wants to restrict a free press and limit Americans’ access to local, independent news sources. Don’t let him do it - vote to maintain public broadcasting!