[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 129 (Friday, August 4, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1634-E1635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      PROTECT FUNDING FOR THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

                                 ______


                             HON. MIKE WARD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 3, 1995
  Mr. WARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
continued funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and in 
opposition to the proposed funding cuts in the Labor/HHS/Education 
Appropriations Act.
  This legislation provides $240 million for the Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting for fiscal year 1998. This figure represents a $20 million 
decrease in funding from the 1997 allocation and is $56.4 million below 
President Clinton's request. Let me put it another way, this is a 
$20,000 funding cut for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

[[Page E 1635]]

  The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has already suffered an 11.8 
percent cut in the rescissions bill passed earlier by this House. This 
further reduction proposed by the Labor/HHS/Education appropriations 
bill will be devastating.
  One needs only to consider the impact these funding cuts will have 
upon rural television stations, primarily in areas where access to 
cable television is extremely limited and where the only educational 
television and radio programs come from public broadcasting. In 
Kentucky, the majority of residents rely on public broadcasting for all 
educational programming, including programs which enable individuals to 
obtain high school equivalency degrees and attend college courses via 
television. Public broadcasting also provides invaluable children's 
programs to help educate children at home as well as in school.
  I urge my colleagues to consider the impact these funding cuts would 
have upon those who rely on public broadcasting the most. I urge my 
colleagues to oppose these cuts and work together to protect the 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting.


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