Pressroom
For Immediate Release June 7, 2006
CPB Responds to House Appropriations Subcommittee's Proposed Funding Levels for Public Broadcasting
Washington, DC -- Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies ("Labor-HHS") approved its Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations bill, which funds the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ("CPB").
The legislation approved by the subcommittee this morning provides for a $20 million rescission from the $400 million already appropriated by Congress for FY 2007; no advance appropriation for FY 2009; no additional funding in FY 2007 for digital conversion or television interconnection (however CPB would be permitted to use a portion of its FY 2007 regular appropriation for these purposes). In addition, the bill completely eliminates funding for Ready To Learn (RTL), which received $24.2 million in FY 2006. The subcommittee did reject, however, the President's request to rescind $50 million from the $400 million already appropriated by Congress to CPB for FY 2008. If enacted, the proposed FY 2007 funding levels would represent a 21.5 percent reduction from CPB's FY 2006 levels.
"While we appreciate the difficult choices confronting the Appropriations Committee, we are disappointed with the funding levels contained in the current House Labor-HHS bill," said Patricia Harrison, CPB president and CEO. "A twenty-plus percent cut, amounting to 104.5 million dollars, will impact all CPB programs, and undermine public broadcasting's ability to continue to offer essential educational services and provide a backbone for a national emergency alert system."
The Subcommittee's action is the first step in a lengthy appropriations process. The full House Appropriations Committee will soon consider the Labor-HHS bill, followed by the full House of Representatives. The Senate is not expected to begin consideration of its version of the bill until July at the earliest. Once both chambers have passed their respective bills, a conference committee will convene to craft a final, compromise version in the fall.
"I look forward to making the case to the House and Senate for their full support, appreciation and respect for the inherent value of public broadcasting to our civil society, our children's education, and our nation's security," concluded Harrison.
About CPB
CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 and is steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,100 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.