[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 19 (Thursday, February 28, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REPORT ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARK E. SOUDER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 28, 2002

  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I am appalled by a recent report on National 
Public Radio linking the Traditional Values Coalition with the Anthrax 
letters that were sent to Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy. I am 
outraged by this biased and unsubstantiated attack.
  I have personally known the leadership of the Traditional Values 
Coalition for many years. Even if I was not personally acquainted with 
members of TVC, I would still find this type of malicious and biased 
reporting completely outrageous.
  NPR linked an organization that represents 43,000 churches across the 
nation to criminal activity with absolutely no evidence or fact. As the 
basis for their accusation, NPR cited a press release that TVC issued 
criticizing Senators Daschle and Leahy for a policy that they disagreed 
with. If a policy disagreement is enough to speculate on a taxpayer-
funded national radio program that a group has tried to murder members 
of Congress, then the list of suspects for this unspeakable crime would 
take NPR days to report. Instead NPR chose to mention only TVC in 
connection to the Anthrax with absolutely no evidence linking them to 
the crime. This is slander, and NPR should be held accountable for such 
blatantly biased reporting.

                          ____________________