Republicans accused public media outlets NPR and PBS of bias at a House subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, while Democrats defended the organizations and criticized the event as a distraction from the ongoing controversy regarding the Trump administration’s use of the Signal messaging app for the communication of sensitive information.
During the hearing, Republicans called for an end to the taxpayer-funded media as they accused the news outlets of promoting a “woke ideology” for younger audiences as Democrats sought to have a little fun in the hearing by questioning the witnesses on the intricacies of Elmo and Cookie Monster as they accused Republicans of wasting time.
PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger and NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher rebutted allegations of bias, saying the outlets abide by journalistic standards and serve a diverse audience that includes rural viewers.
U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) speaks in front of poster of Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on March 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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“I hear, respect and understand your concerns regarding bias and whether public media is relevant in a commercial landscape,” Maher said. “It is critical for NPR’s newsroom to operate with the highest journalistic standards. That means they do their jobs independently, and as CEO I have no editorial role at NPR.”
Minutes later, Kerger added: “PBS stations are focused on the needs and interests of the viewers they serve. Especially in rural areas, PBS stations are the only outlets providing coverage for local events, for example high school sports, local history and culture content, candidate debates at every level of the election ballot and specialized agricultural news.”
The hearing, titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable,” was held by the Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee, the name of which echoes the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration’s cost-cutting initiative overseen by Elon Musk.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., criticized NPR and PBS during the hearing for what she called liberal bias, pointing to federal funding for the outlets as the target of potential cuts.
“NPR and PBS have increasingly become radical, left-wing echo chambers for a narrow audience of mostly wealthy, white, urban liberals and progressives,” Greene said.
Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., defended the public media outlets and criticized the hearing as a distraction for more important issues often taken up by the House Oversight Committee, the larger body to which the DOGE subcommittee belongs.
“I’m sad to see this once proud committee — the principle investigative committee in the House of Representatives — has now stooped to the lowest levels of partisanship and political theater to hold a hearing to go after the likes of Elmo and Cookie Monster and Arthur the aardvark,” Lynch said.
Committee chair Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican from Georgia, looks on during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on public broadcasting services on Capitol Hill on March 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Later in the hearing, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said sarcastically: “Is Elmo now, or has he ever been, a member of the Communist Party?”
Another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Greg Casar, of Texas, said: “Leave Elmo alone, bring Elon in for questioning instead,” referring to billionaire Elon Musk, who is the public face of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., sharply criticized NPR’s previous coverage of the origins of COVID-19 and a House investigation into the Biden family, which Comer led.
“I think you’ve abused the privilege that you had with receiving federal funds,” Comer said, sitting in front of placards featuring NPR headlines with which he said he took issue.
In response, Maher, of NPR, said: “I want to recognize your concerns,” noting that she took steps to “beef up our editorial standards” after taking her position last year.
President and CEO of Public Broadcasting Service Paula Kerger testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on March 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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“Why is NPR even doing editorials?” Comer responded, exasperated, and apparently confused about what “editorial standards” meant. “Do you even need opinion — if you’re a federally funded entity that’s supposed to provide the news?”
“I mean, editorial standards for our journalism … bringing in more editors to make sure that we have more points of view reflected in every story. I’ve engaged in a number of actions,” she said, before Comer cut her off.
“I’ve lost confidence in public radio,” he said.
While the media chiefs defended their editorial standards, Maher did acknowledge that the stations’ handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story was “a mistake.”
“I do want to say that NPR acknowledges that we were mistaken and failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively and sooner,” Maher said.
