Proposal to Cut NPR Funding Fails in House

The "YouCut" movement has encouraged average Americans to log on and vote for programs they would like to eliminate.  This week, the winning YouCut proposal focused on stopping federal dollars from going to National Public Radio, or NPR.

Congressman Doug Lamborn, R-Co., introduced the proposal. During a Sunday interview with Fox News, Lamborn said that setting aside government funds for NPR is an outdated practice.

“This program was created 40 years ago before satellite, before cable, before the internet,” said Lamborn. “Maybe it was justified then. It's not justified now.”

Despite winning this week’s YouCut vote, the proposal failed in the House on Thursday, with a vote of 239 yeas to 171 nays. A successful “nay” vote would have eliminated federal funding for NPR.

Lamborn says the vote is proof that House Democrats “didn't get the message voters sent on Election Day.”

When asked about the vote outcome for his plan, Lamborn said, “I was not surprised, but I was disappointed. Every single vote against the cut in spending was for Democrats.”

Shortly after the House vote, NPR released a statement blasting the proposal, calling it “an unwarranted attempt to interject federal authority into local station program decision-making."

Lamborn says that while he enjoys most of NPR's programming, the money should come from other sources.

“We're just saying the taxpayer shouldn't be the one into footing the bill,” said Lamborn. “They're free to go out and survive by selling advertising or getting people like George Soros to give them grants.”

Lamborn says he hasn’t given up on the proposal and will continue his efforts in January, once Republicans take control of the House.