Senator Schatz Vows to Protect Foreign Aid and Public Broadcasting

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, has spoken out against a Republican bill that cuts $9 billion to foreign aid and public broadcasting. The bill passed without bipartisan support and will have severe consequences for people in Native communities, rural areas, and around the world who rely on these essential services. Senator Schatz emphasized that public TV and radio stations play a critical role in delivering news, emergency alerts, health information, and public safety announcements, and that gutting these programs would be catastrophic.

Key Takeaways:

• Senator Schatz voted against a Republican bill that cuts $9 billion to foreign aid and public broadcasting, citing devastating consequences for Native communities, rural areas, and vulnerable people around the world.
• The bill will harm public TV and radio stations, which provide essential services such as news, emergency alerts, weather forecasts, and health information.
• Senator Schatz highlighted the importance of public broadcasting, citing HPR as an example of a station that delivers local stories and provides critical information to the community.
• The bill was passed without bipartisan support and heads back to the House of Representatives for consideration.
• Senator Schatz spoke out against the Trump administration's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the consequences for vulnerable people around the world.
• The legislation will have severe consequences for foreign aid programs, potentially causing death, spreading disease, and deepening starvation.
• Public broadcasting is essential for delivering critical information, such as emergency alerts, weather forecasts, and public safety announcements.

Statistics:

• $9 billion: The amount cut from foreign aid and public broadcasting in the Republican bill.
• Millions: The number of people around the world who rely on life-saving foreign aid programs.
• Native communities: The groups most affected by the proposed cuts to public broadcasting, having limited access to alternative information sources.

Sources:

• [quote] "We used to be the indispensable nation that people around the world counted on for help. But not anymore. With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease, and deepen starvation across the planet." [/quote] - Senator Brian Schatz
• [quote] "Public TV and radio stations deliver news, emergency alerts, weather forecasts, health information, public safety announcements, and election coverage. Stations like HPR tell local stories that no one else does. To gut all of that overnight, in the name of finding savings or to punish certain outlets that Donald Trump doesn't like is unacceptable." [/quote] - Senator Brian Schatz