US House of Representatives to Vote on Funding for Public Broadcasting Today

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the possibility of cutting funding for public broadcasting today.3^rd District Representative John Yarmuth says he will vote against the measure in part because he doesn’t like the way the issue has been handled.“As a matter of policy I would oppose it, but as a matter of process as well" he says, "It seems to be based on the one secretly taped conversation with a guy who had already retired from NPR.”Yarmuth is referring to a video produced by conservative activist James O’Keefe that showed a former NPR fundraising executive making disparaging remarks about the political right. Portions of the video, however, were later found to have been taken out of context.Yarmuth says the measure was introduced Tuesday afternoon and has not been further discussed or debated over. He says the measure needs to be considered in greater detail and with public input.“If you’re talking about something that could affect almost 20 percent of a public radio station’s budget and would prohibit stations from spending any federal money on programs like A Prairie Home Companion and other widely popular things;" Yarmuth says, "then yeah I think you ought to have public input and discussion.”The House passed a continuing resolution for three weeks to find a way to fund the government by the end of this fiscal year. Yarmuth says the coming weeks will focus almost exclusively on the budget in the interest of preventing a government shutdown.