Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) voted against the Republican rescission package, which would cut already-approved bipartisan funding for public TV and radio as well as for global humanitarian aid. The legislation, which now heads back to the U.S. House of Representatives, would cut support for critical educational and public safety programs in Nevada.
“Today, Republicans voted to slash funds that help rural communities, Tribes, families with kids, and farmers across the country. Public broadcasting funding in particular plays a critical role in delivering emergency alerts and keeping communities across Nevada safe,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This vote also sets the dangerous precedent that Republicans can claw back funding that was already approved by Congress with bipartisan support. Nevadans deserve better.”
The Republican rescission package would cut foreign aid programs that support American farmers, help thousands of vulnerable children worldwide, and help counter the influence of countries like Communist China abroad.
The bill would slash over $7.5 million from public broadcasting in Nevada – including from Nevada Public Radio (KNPR), KUNR, Reno PBS TV, and Vegas PBS TV. The cuts would in turn affect rural communities whose radio and TV stations rely on public broadcasting funding – including stations in Laughlin, Mesquite, Elko, Tonopah, Round Mountain, and more. Eliminating these critical dollars will make it harder to get safety information and warnings to Nevadans in the cases of emergencies, AMBER Alerts, and natural disasters like wildfires. Public TV and radio also serve as critical resources that provide educational programming to children and families across the state. The average cost to the American taxpayer for public broadcasting is about $1.60 per person per year.
“The elimination of CPB funding is a direct threat to Nevada Public Radio’s ability to cover news across our state—especially in rural communities, many of which are already considered news deserts. This decision undermines the essential role public media plays in connecting Nevadans with trusted, fact-based journalism and independent reporting that commercial media often overlooks. While CPB accounts for about 8% of our funding, its loss will be felt far beyond our budget—it jeopardizes our capacity to tell the stories of underrepresented communities, hold institutions accountable, and sustain meaningful reporting in places where no other outlet exists,” said Favian Perez, CEO & President of Nevada Public Radio.
“We are beyond disappointed that despite the work of Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen, a majority of the Senate has decided to ignore the will of the American people and vote to defund public broadcasting. Due to this action thousands of Nevada’s families may lose access to the quality educational programs, services and emergency alerting notices provided by public television. This decision will have a negative impact on the quality of life in our state,” said Kurt A. Mische, President & CEO of PBS Reno.
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