1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

President Trump recently signed an executive order to pull federal money from NPR and PBS via defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has a budget of more than half a billion dollars to fund public radio and television. Congress specifically set it up as a private entity to protect it from governmental interference and control. The President’s blatantly unlawful Executive Order, issued in the middle of the night, threatens PBS's ability to serve the American public with educational programming as they have for the past 50-plus years. Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and Daniel Tiger have taught generations of children crucial lessons. They teach children their ABCs but also how to treat other people and deal with their emotions, lessons that are more important than ever in today's polarized world. The PBS Kids app is an incredible free resource for early childhood education in contrast to a sea of apps aimed at children full of malware and hidden charges. Both NPR and PBS remain unwavering in their commitment to serving the American public. NPR reports stories that keep people informed, every day, without fear or favor. That is the promise of a free press in a democracy. It's in the First Amendment. With rising paywalls and closing news services, fewer media outlets are providing high-quality information to those who can’t pay. The NPR Network is a vital lifeline, leveraging its newsrooms in all 50 states to keep millions of people informed–free of charge. Now is the time to ensure factual journalism and creative storytelling remain available to everyone. Please support PBS and NPR and fight to keep them funded. Your constituents love them and we need them now more than ever.