Mark Kelly: “now is the time that we should be investing in the future of our country and helping American families get ahead, but…”

“now is the time that we should be investing in the future of our country and helping American families get ahead, but what we have in front of us this week does the opposite. It is a bad deal that puts America in retreat at home and abroad. It makes our country poorer and less safe. When I reviewed what we are about to vote on, I thought about my granddaughter Sage. She is 4 years old, and, like a lot of kids her age, she watches one of the many educational programs that air on PBS. Her favorite is ``Daniel Tiger,'' a show that teaches kids everything from treating others with kindness to brushing their teeth, with Daniel's friend Jodi Platypus. These are lessons every child should grow up learning no matter where they live or how much money their parents make. But what is in front of us today is a proposal to totally decimate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports local PBS and public radio stations. I don't get this. These are the stations that air children's educational programs like ``Daniel Tiger'' and ``Sesame Street,'' which help kids learn how to count and how to read and how to spell. In an era where cable is getting more expensive and monthly subscriptions just add up, free educational programming like this is so important. It is how parents in Arizona and all across the country give their children a head start regardless of their ZIP Code or their income.”