Congressman calls Republican attacks on PBS an insult to American families

WASHINGTON D.C. – In response to comments made to Forbes by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney reporting his budget priorities include eliminating federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the parent organization of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass,), a leading champion of public broadcasting in Congress, released the following statement:
 
“A Ryan-Romney ticket buys admission to a budget match-up where Big Oil wins and Big Bird loses. In a budgetary blow to children and parents everywhere, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would take an axe to PBS while feeding billions in taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies with a silver spoon. Congressman Ryan’s budgets protect $40 billion in subsidies for the most profitable oil companies on the planet but would put an end to Elmo’s World.”
 
Rep. Markey, former chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s telecommunications panel, held a press conference in February 2011 with the world’s most popular talking aardvark and beloved PBS character, Arthur the Aardvark, to oppose cuts proposed to children’s television in the Republican budget put forward by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.).
 
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