WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement after he voted against the Republicans’ package to rescind bipartisan government funding for local radio stations and foreign assistance that helps millions each year.
“Earlier this month, Republicans ripped health care away from 17 million Americans and hiked the price of groceries and electricity on working families. Today, they’re pulling the plug on rural radio stations and public TV programming Coloradans count on.
“This isn’t ‘government efficiency’. It’s throwing away America’s future piece by piece.”
Hickenlooper voted NO on the Republicans’ $9 billion rescission package after Republicans voted against Democratic-led amendments to protect public broadcasting and preserve America’s global leadership.
Hickenlooper introduced and joined four amendments to the Republicans’ rescission package, including amendments to:
- Save Public TV and Radio: Hickenlooper co-sponsored an amendment to remove the $1.1 billion in funding cuts for local radio and tv stations that are vital for millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Coloradans living in rural areas.
- Protect Efforts to Boost Economic Stability in the Western Hemisphere: Hickenlooper-led amendment to strike cuts to the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), which boosts economic development across Latin America and the Caribbean to help reduce push factors for migration.
- Safeguard Clean Energy Investments: Hickenlooper-led amendment to preserve U.S. investments in clean energy projects in developing countries through the Clean Technology Fund (CTF).
- Preserve U.S. Leadership Abroad: Hickenlooper-led amendment to strike cuts to the Economic Support Fund (ESF), which gives development and economic assistance to countries of strategic importance to help counter Chinese influence around the world.
Hickenlooper raised the alarm about the Republicans’ reckless effort to silence rural radio stations and what it would mean for millions of Americans who live in rural areas and depend on public broadcasting for emergency alerts, transportation accidents, national security threats or public safety matters.
###