Democrats had some bizarre defenses for NPR and PBS in Wednesday’s House DOGE Subcommittee, with some representatives invoking characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets to attack Republican efforts to cut funding to public broadcasting.
Both PBS and NPR have been heavily criticized for political bias and for advancing leftist ideologies like gender ideology, such as a PBS movie called “Real Boy,” which, according to PBS, follows a transgender-identifying teen as he “navigates adolescence, sobriety, and physical and emotional ramifications of his changing gender identity.”
The hearing – titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable” – was called by the DOGE Subcommittee Chair Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to question public media leaders on why the “demonstrably biased news coverage they produce for an increasingly narrow and elitist audience should continue to be funded by the broad taxpaying public.”
This comes after President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would be “honored” to defund NPR, saying, “It’s been very biased. The whole group, I mean, a whole group of them.”
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Rep. Greg Casar, an adjunct member of the “Squad,” attempted to take shots at President Donald Trump and DOGE chief Elon Musk, asking, “Has Miss Piggy ever been caught trying to funnel billions of dollars in government contracts to herself and to her companies?” (Getty Images)
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, an adjunct member of the “Squad,” attempted to take shots at Trump and DOGE chief Elon Musk, asking, “Has Miss Piggy ever been caught trying to funnel billions of dollars in government contracts to herself and to her companies?”
Sitting in front of a giant poster reading, “Fire Elon, Save Elmo,” Casar went on, “How about Arthur the Aardvark? Has he ever fired independent government watchdogs who are investigating his companies? The answer is no.”
“I’m told we’re here to talk about government efficiency, but Daniel Tiger has not blown $10 million of taxpayer money to play golf with his friends. But Donald Trump has, just at the beginning of his administration. Miss Piggy hasn’t been caught funneling billions of dollars in government contracts to herself. But Elon Musk has, and Arthur has not fired independent government watchdogs investigating him and his companies. But Elon Musk has fired at least five,”
Casar suggested that Republicans are using PBS and NPR as a “scapegoat” to “try to distract from the fact that Trump and Musk are robbing working people.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., also had a peculiar defense for NPR and PBS, asking PBS President Paula Kerger, “Is Elmo now or has he ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States?”
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Rep. Greg Casar speaks after a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 26, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Garcia went on to say that Elmo “has a very dangerous message about sharing and helping each other. He’s indoctrinating our kids, that sharing is caring. Now, maybe he’s part of a major socialist plot and maybe that’s why the chairwoman is having this hearing today.”
He also indicated that Republicans are considering defunding PBS for using characters such as Big Bird to push for COVID-19 vaccines.
“This is actually a tweet that Big Bird actually sent out about the COVID-19 vaccine, encouraging folks to actually get their vaccination, which of course we believe in vaccines,” he said. “Perhaps the reason why we’re having this hearing is because our chairwoman, Miss Green, has actually said some really negative things about getting vaccinations and that’s perhaps why we are here. And so, we support Big Bird being pro-vaccine and promoting vaccines across this country.”
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DOGE Subcommittee Chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene questioned NPR CEO Katherine Maher on Tuesday regarding “blatantly ideological and partisan coverage.” (DOGE House Subcomittee hearing/screengrab )
He also brought up the characters Bert and Ernie, asking if they are “part of an extreme homosexual agenda,” as well as Cookie Monster, saying, “Now we know that Health Secretary RFK Jr. is coming out against fast food and baked goods. Are we silencing pro-cookie voters?”
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Garcia called the taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS a “tiny federal investment,” and said, “We need public media like PBS and NPR more than ever.”
“The message I think today is very, very simple. If we’re going to get rid of any puppeteers, we should get rid of the one that’s actually controlling Donald Trump,” he said. “Fire Elon Musk and save Elmo.”
