Durbin Meets With Illinois NPR As Trump Administration Threatens Public Media
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with leadership from National Public Radio (NPR) stations across Illinois to discuss the importance of continuing to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), NPR, and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) after President Trump issued an executive order seeking to prohibit these programs from receiving any federal funds.
“As a democracy, we should pride ourselves on having freedom of the press. Yet, the Trump Administration continues to threaten journalists and news outlets, including our public media,” said Durbin. “NPR and PBS provide unbiased, informative news to Illinoisans, especially those who live in rural areas. We cannot let the Trump Administration bulldoze the press, which holds our government accountable. I will continue to fight for and protect funding and support for public media in Illinois.”
Photos of the meeting are available here.
Through the government funding bill passed earlier this year, CPB will receive $535 million in advanced appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. However, the Trump Administration has rescinded all funding that goes directly to NPR and PBS, including funding appropriated for FY 2025, FY 2026, and FY 2027. NPR and PBS provide educational programming for young children, unbiased and local news, especially in rural communities, and lifesaving emergency alerts during natural disasters.
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