Reflecting the wishes of the American people, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) today voted to support a proposal to terminate taxpayer funding of National Public Radio (NPR), potentially saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually. The measure was the result of Americans speaking out to Congress through the YouCut website.

“The American people sent Washington a loud message earlier this month and that message was Washington has to get serious about controlling spending,” Luetkemeyer said. “I heard that message loud and clear, and the American people are using the YouCut website to voice their support for spending cuts.”   

This week’s YouCut proposal seeks to terminate taxpayer funding of NPR, who receives direct government grants from federal agencies like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts, totaling approximately $9 million over the past two years.  NPR also receives taxpayer funds indirectly. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting makes grants to public radio stations, and some grants can only be used to acquire and produce programming purchased from NPR. Programming fees and dues paid by local public radio stations to NPR accounts for approximately 40 percent of NPR’s budget or roughly $65 million last year. A portion of these funds were originally federal tax dollars provided to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to the local public radio stations.

On the YouCut website each week, Americans have the opportunity to vote on a spending cut, and shortly after all the ideas are processed, Luetkemeyer and his colleagues seek a vote on the most popular spending cut. Luetkemeyer is encouraging folks to visit http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/and help Washington control government spending.

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