Easy access to public news shouldn't be political

It wasn't enough for Republicans to gut people's health care and food assistance when they passed their budget bill.

Last week, they added insult to injury by defunding public broadcasting – including NPR and PBS.

This cuts millions of children's access to free educational programs.

It will leave news deserts, particularly in rural areas of Oregon and the country, at a time when smaller newspapers and news outlets are being forced to close their doors over a lack of funding.

And public broadcasting isn't only a source of trusted information and news. It also serves as the primary emergency alert system for many rural areas of the country, including my home state.

Defunding public alert systems for severe weather like wildfires or floods, after what happened in Texas earlier this month, is unthinkably dangerous.

It's yet another attack by Trump and his allies on the free press. (When you know you can't win a debate on the policy merits, why not just rig the information game?) It makes it harder for people to get fair and accurate reporting about their political leaders.

I'm outraged about these latest Republican cuts. They will be a wrecking ball to public information and news in rural Oregon and the rest of the country.

Everything Republicans have done since gaining their trifecta of power will make our families and communities less safe.

Having easy access to basic information and news shouldn't be a political football. I'm going to keep fighting to ensure that folks remain informed. And I'll keep fighting to elect a Congress that reverses these harmful cuts.

Onward,

Ron