'It's As Stupid As It Sounds!': Jasmine Crockett Torches GOP For Calling To Defund PBS And NPR

2 days ago

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) slams GOP attacks on NPR and PBS at today's House DOGE hearing.

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Transcript

00:00five minutes. Thank you so much. It should not be surprising that the

00:03president is doing everything possible to make it more difficult for the media

00:07to hold him accountable and for the public to be informed about his

00:10reckless and illegal behavior. Yet here we are. The Republicans have actually

00:15organized this goofy hearing to try to convince the American people that PBS

00:20and NPR are quote domestic terrorist or domestic threats. My apologies, not the

00:26incompetent, unqualified secretary of defense who's texting war plant who's

00:31texting war plans to journalists. But it's it's y'all PBS and NPR. The

00:36american people are supposed to be worried about. You can't make this up.

00:40It's as stupid as it sounds. The american people should be worried about

00:44the president threatening to investigate NBC for treason for

00:49reporting on his felony convictions or arresting reporters and stripping

00:53networks of their licenses for not saying nice things about him or not

00:58using Gulf of America. The republicans witness Mr Gonzalez went so far as to

01:04suggest that because NPR and PBS reported on the murder of George Floyd,

01:08they quote represent a danger to our physical health as well as to civic

01:13health of our body politics. Miss Mayor, do you think reporting on the murder

01:19of George Floyd and highlighting instances of systemic racism is a

01:23domestic threat to America?

01:27Thank you, Congresswoman. I believe it's our responsibility to report on all

01:31issues of interest to the american public. Thank you so much, Miss Carger.

01:34What about you?

01:37I agree. I think it's important for us to report on the on the important news

01:41of the day. So let's talk about the critical role of public media. During

01:46his first term, President Trump's own Department of Homeland Security

01:48highlighted the importance of public broadcasting's role in public safety.

01:53In 2018, his administration stated quote PBS and local public television

01:58stations play a crucial role in protecting communities by delivering

02:02essential information to individuals and first responders. These benefits

02:06are all made possible by public broadcasting stations, unique reach,

02:11reliability and role across America and are especially vital in rule and

02:17underserved areas. Madam Chairwoman, I would ask unanimous consent. I seek

02:21unanimous consent to enter into the record the 28th without objection. So

02:25ordered. Uh and Madam Chair, I also seek unanimous consent to enter into

02:31the record. The 2019 report title modernizing the nation's public alert

02:34and warning system from Trump's without objection. So ordered in the report,

02:38FEMA encouraged quote the use of public broadcast capabilities to expand alert

02:43warning and communication capabilities to fill gaps in rule and underserved

02:47areas. Mr Olman, what's a more significant domestic threat reporting

02:52the murder of George Floyd or dismantling most of America's

02:55emergency communication systems?

02:58Can you please repeat the question for me? Congresswoman, which one is more of

03:02a threat reporting the murder of George Floyd or dismantling most of America's

03:07emergency communication systems? Dismantling the emergency systems. And

03:13isn't it true that in Alaska borough Alaska is the only I'm sorry. And isn't

03:19it true that K B R W A. M. And borough Alaska is the only broadcast service

03:25available in an area of more than 90,000 square miles. That is correct.

03:30It's also the north slope where the majority of all the oil production that

03:35comes from Alaska is takes place. Thank you so much. And isn't it true that

03:39without these stations broadcast, um, Americans in rural communities would

03:43lack access to life saving information in public safety alerts? That is

03:47correct. So in your opinion, would eliminating funding for stations in

03:50rural America like W N G H Channel 18 in the chairwoman's district hurt

03:55Americans? It would hurt Americans. Yes. In fact, Georgia public broadcasting

04:00serves as the official distributor of evacuation route information during

04:03state ordered evacuations, and the chairwoman is here advocating to strip

04:07their funding. Look, the Doge agenda isn't about government efficiency. It's

04:10about breeding corruption at the expense of the safety of the American

04:14people, particularly Americans living in rural or remote parts of the country.

04:18They don't care about public safety. They don't care about emergency

04:22management, and they don't care about free speech, all of which are harming

04:25American people. In fact, I'm a skip off real quick because they have tried

04:29to come for you, Miss Mayor. And I just want to clarify. You did not work for

04:32NPR when those statements were made, did you? That is correct. And to be

04:37clear, free speech is not about whatever it is that y'all want somebody

04:41to say. And the idea that you want to shut down everybody that is not Fox

04:46News is bullshit. We need to stop playing because that's what y'all are

04:50doing in here. You don't want to hear the opinions in any of anybody else.

04:55And the Constitution says Congress shall make no law respecting or

04:59establishing of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

05:04or abridging the gentlewoman's time has expired. The gentlewoman's time has

05:09expired.

05:11Madam Chair. Okay, put them into the record. Your name is consent, please.

05:15Without objection. So ordered. Thank you. I'd like to, um, put under this

05:19NPR article what Biden preemptive pardons for family members could mean

05:23for presidential powers. Without objection. So ordered. I now recognize

05:28the gentleman.

'It's As Stupid As It Sounds!': Jasmine Crockett Torches GOP For Calling To Defund PBS And NPR

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