Doris Matsui: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 1076. I can't…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 1076. I can't believe what I am hearing from the other side of the aisle. It's not a lefty-type organization. This bill would prohibit public radio stations from using Federal funds to buy popular programs like ``Morning Edition,'' ``All Things Considered,'' and ``This American Life.'' Mr. Speaker, this would be a huge disruption to our Nation's public radio system, economy, and most importantly, the intellectual content and news that so many Americans rely upon. According to a recent study, NPR's overall audience grew last year to over 27 million weekly listeners, up 60 percent overall since 2000. And this is when most other media outlets are struggling. And as a former board chair of Sacramento's local PBS TV station, I can attest to the value that national public broadcasting programming offers to my constituents. Mr. Speaker, thousands of my constituents rely on local NPR stations to get their news, and this is a very diverse group. In fact, since this bill was introduced, I have received a significant number of calls from them voicing very strong support for NPR and very, very strong opposition to this legislation. One of my constituents told me that listening to NPR makes him a more informed, more engaged citizen. Moreover, this bill will not produce any savings for the taxpayer and will not reduce the deficit.…”