Two sizeable coalitions of state attorneys general and public radio outlets are rushing to the aid of NPR in its lawsuit against President Donald Trump to stop the defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as Congress sends mixed signals over CPB’s future.
The Attorneys General of 22 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus brief in US District Court against Executive Order 14290, which seeks to eliminate federal support for public media, citing claims of partisan bias. They write, “Losing public media would erode that trust and leave many American communities in the dark.”
That authority, however, remains sharply divided. Earlier this month, the US House narrowly approved the Rescissions Act of 2025, voting 214-212 to cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The vote broke strictly along party lines, with four Democratic absences allowing the measure to pass.
The legislation now awaits Senate action, where bipartisan support for public broadcasting makes its fate uncertain. Unless approved by July 18, the bill will expire and leave current funding intact.
In their filing, the state AGs highlight public radio’s unique role in emergency communications. “Because radio is not dependent on electricity, it is a particularly reliable and essential method of communicating information during an emergency,” the brief states. Stations like KAWC Colorado River Public Media in Colorado and Minnesota Public Radio serve as backbone infrastructure for state and federal emergency alerts. NPR’s Public Radio Satellite System covers nearly the entire U.S. population through more than 1,200 signals.
On a separate front, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, backed by 29 NPR member stations, filed a companion brief arguing that the executive order violates the First Amendment and long-established statutory protections designed to shield public media from political interference. They warn that conditioning federal funding on political content preferences strikes directly at editorial independence. “The First Amendment does not allow the government to target a particular press outlet for punishment because of disagreement with the message it conveys,” they write.
The stations point to a wide range of award-winning local journalism made possible by federal funding: New Hampshire Public Radio’s The 13th Step investigation, Vermont Public’s FEMA reporting, Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Native American and environmental coverage, and extensive emergency reporting from WESA, KCRW, and Central Florida Public Media.
The 29 participating NPR affiliates span the public radio spectrum from major markets like New York Public Radio, KQED, Southern California Public Radio’s LAist, and KCRW to smaller community stations such as Mid-Shore Community Radio in Maryland, WDIY 88.1 FM in Pennsylvania, and WMNF Tampa in Florida. Also joining are statewide networks like Oregon Public Broadcasting, Vermont Public, and Rocky Mountain Public Media, as well as university licensees including WAMU (American University), WBUR (Boston University), and WGLT (Illinois State University).
One more point of note: while the House voted to defund public media, it simultaneously endorsed continued investment in public broadcasting’s emergency infrastructure. On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee recommended level funding of $40 million for fiscal 2026 for the Next Generation Warning System, which supports upgrades to public media’s emergency alert capabilities.
