Latest news with #Congressionally
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. AG Andrea Joy Campbell joins 15 states in suing Trump administration over NSF cuts
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined 15 other states in suing the Trump administration to stop its attempts to cut National Science Foundation programs and funding. Earlier this month, the NSF announced it would be capping indirect costs at 15%, a move that mirrored funding cuts at the National Institute of Health and the Department of Energy, both of which are currently blocked by courts. The agency, which funds nonmedical scientific research, also started eliminating programs designed to increase the participation of women, minorities, and people with disabilities in STEM fields. "The NSF's mission is to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense," a spokesperson for the NSF said in a statement. "It is our priority to ensure all NSF awards aim to create opportunities for all Americans everywhere, without exclusion of any groups.' The attorneys general say that the Trump administration does not have the power to cap research funding and eliminate diversity programs, as funding for NSF, including the diversity programs, were mandated by Congress. 'Congress has adopted a clear, longstanding national policy to advance and promote 'full use of the human resources of the Nation' in STEM fields by encouraging participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities,' reads the lawsuit. 'Defendants do not have authority to categorically refuse to support research that comports with the Congressionally enacted policy of the United States.' The attorneys general seek a court order ruling NSF's new policies illegal and blocking them from implementation. Campbell said that the changes to NSF will hurt Massachusetts's ability to do research and could cause the US to lose its status as a global leader in STEM research. 'Massachusetts is home to world-renowned scientific research institutions that not only drive innovative solutions to our world's most pressing challenges, but also ensure our nation maintains its global, scientific leadership,' said Campbell in a press release. 'I will continue to hold the Trump Administration accountable for the unlawful attacks on STEM funding, which jeopardize Massachusetts and this entire country's public health, economy and national security.' Joining Campbell in the coalition are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. This lawsuit comes after 13 schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University, sued the Trump administration in early May over the NSF funding cuts. The universities said that the 15% cap would cause them to lose millions of dollars and the amount of future research would 'decline precipitously.' 'From developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to creating innovative solutions to environmental and energy challenges, NSF-funded research at American universities is vital to addressing the nation's biggest challenges and maintaining the country's competitive edge,' read Campbell's press release. 'NSF's new cap would mean essential research and infrastructure would be cut, leading to critical projects being abandoned, staff laid off, and research essential to national security, public health, and economic stability ending.' This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: MA AG Andrea Campbell files NSF lawsuit against Trump administration
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PBS accuses Trump of ‘blatant viewpoint discrimination' in lawsuit over funding cut
Weeks after Donald Trump declared that he was cutting federal funding for public broadcasters, PBS followed in NPR's footsteps and sued the president to block his executive order, calling it unconstitutional and 'blatant viewpoint discrimination.' In the complaint that was filed in the U.S. District Court of Washington Friday, the network – which was joined by member station Northern Minnesota Public Television – accused the administration of violating the broadcaster's First Amendment rights. The lawsuit also claimed that the executive order broke the laws that 'forbid the President from serving as the arbiter of the content of PBS's programming, including by attempting to defund PBS.' 'After careful deliberation, PBS reached the conclusion that it was necessary to take legal action to safeguard public television's editorial independence, and to protect the autonomy of PBS member stations,' a PBS spokesperson said in a statement. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'The executive order makes no attempt to hide the fact that it is cutting off the flow of funds to PBS because of the content of PBS programming and out of a desire to alter the content of speech,' the lawsuit stated. 'That is blatant viewpoint discrimination.' The complaint added: 'And the EO smacks of retaliation for, among other things, perceived political slights in news coverage. That all transgresses the First Amendment's protection of both speech and freedom of the press.' The public broadcaster's lawsuit comes days after NPR filed a similar complaint against the president. NPR, which gets roughly 2 percent of its annual budget from the federal government, argued that Trump overstepped his powers by trying to strip funding that had been Congressionally appropriated. 'The president has no authority under the Constitution to take such actions,' alleges the NPR lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday. 'On the contrary, the power of the purse is reserved to Congress.' 'It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment. 'But this wolf comes as a wolf,'' the NPR complaint added. 'The Order targets NPR and PBS expressly because, in the President's view, their news and other content is not 'fair, accurate, or unbiased.' In his executive order earlier this month, Trump accused the public broadcasters of 'biased' coverage and said that federal funds should instead go to 'fair, accurate, unbiased and nonpartisan news coverage.' The order came after he had repeatedly threatened to claw back the funding allocated to NPR and PBS. Trump has also attempted to fire members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors, resulting in another lawsuit to block those terminations. 'The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers' dime,' White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told The Washington Post earlier this week. 'Therefore, the President is exercising his lawful authority to limit funding to NPR and PBS. The President was elected with a mandate to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and he will continue to use his lawful authority to achieve that objective.' PBS relies more heavily on government funds than NPR, with nearly 16 percent of its $373 million annual budget coming directly from grants provided to it by the coproration. The network's lawsuit also claims that Trump's order could potentially harm the large portion of its funding that comes from local station dues.
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
NPR sues Trump, says funding cut violates First Amendment, World News
WASHINGTON — National Public Radio and three Colorado public radio stations are suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order to cut federal funding for public broadcasting, NPR said on Tuesday (May 27). US President Donald Trump's order against NPR and fellow public broadcaster PBS earlier this month barring the use of Congressionally appropriated funds violated the First Amendment, it said. "The intent could not be more clear — the Executive Order aims to punish NPR for the content of news and other programming the President dislikes," NPR CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement. "This is retaliatory, viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment." Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio also joined the lawsuit, according to the statement. Representatives for the White House could not be immediately reached for comment. [[nid:718465]]
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NPR sues Trump over ‘textbook retaliation' for slashing funds: ‘This wolf comes as a wolf'
NPR and three other public radio stations have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump White House over the president's recent executive order cutting Congressionally appropriated funds for NPR and PBS, claiming that Trump's actions violated the Constitution and freedom of speech. 'The president has no authority under the Constitution to take such actions,' alleges the lawsuit, which was filed in the District of Columbia on Tuesday. 'On the contrary, the power of the purse is reserved to Congress.' In an executive order earlier this month, President Donald Trump – who has devoted much attention to threatening the free press and dismantling state-funded media organizations – directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors to 'cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,' which are the nation's two largest public broadcasters. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the NPR suit. 'It is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment,' the lawsuit noted. ''But this wolf comes as a wolf.'' 'The Order targets NPR and PBS expressly because, in the President's view, their news and other content is not 'fair, accurate, or unbiased,'' the complaint added. 'Neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events to tax-paying citizens,' the order declared. 'The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding.' The complaint by NPR argues that the president's order is 'textbook retaliation' and a threat to public radio's existence. Notably, NPR is joined by three public radio stations – Colorado Public Radio, KSUT Public Radio and Aspen Public Radio – in the lawsuit. While NPR only receives a fraction of its funding – roughly 2 percent – from federal grants, most of that funding goes to local radio and TV outlets. 'The Executive Order is a clear violation of the Constitution and the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech and association, and freedom of the press,' NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher said in a statement. 'This is retaliatory, viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has ruled numerous times over the past 80 years that the government does not have the right to determine what counts as 'biased,'' she added. 'NPR will never agree to this infringement of our constitutional rights, or the constitutional rights of our Member stations, and NPR will not compromise our commitment to an independent free press and journalistic integrity.' In his executive order, Trump accused NPR and PBS of 'biased' coverage and insisted that federal funds should instead go to 'fair, accurate, unbiased and nonpartisan news coverage,' which followed his recent threats to pull back funds. Trump also attempted to fire several board members of the CPB last month, prompting them to sue Trump to block the terminations. While the lawsuit states that Trump does not have the authority to rescind funding that Congress appropriated, GOP lawmakers are currently working on legislation to defund public broadcasters. PBS, which receives about 15 percent of its funding from the government, did not join NPR's complaint, suggesting the organization may file its own separate lawsuit.
Axios
4 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Democrats urge Rubio, Noem to protect USAGM foreign journalists
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday penned letters to State Secretary Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging them to protect and prioritize the safety of journalists affiliated with U.S. government-funded international broadcasters, according to copies of the letters obtained by Axios. Why it matters: The Trump administration is currently entangled in several messy legal battles over its efforts to dismantle broadcasters under the United States Agency for Global Media. USAGM outlets fighting back include Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Lawmakers are concerned that journalists affiliated with those outlets facing safety issues in their home countries will languish amid the legal drama. State of play:"If U.S.-based USAGM affiliated personnel's employment were to be terminated, the basis for their presence in the United States would be jeopardized — in many cases forcing them to return to authoritarian countries where they are at risk of being interrogated, jailed, or persecuted," Shaheen and Van Hollen write in their joint letter to Noem. "USAGM affiliated personnel based outside of the U.S. could also be placed in jeopardy of a forced return to their authoritarian homelands by their current countries of domicile were their employment to be terminated." They ask that Noem provide a briefing to their staffs on the issue "no later than June 6." The State Department and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zoom out: USAGM broadcasters rely on Congressionally approved funding to bring non-partisan news coverage to developing and autocratic countries around the world, including countries that face imminent risk of backsliding from democracy. Their work is often considered dangerous, especially in places with limited protections for journalists and free speech. Around the world, there are at least 11 USAGM-supported employees jailed in places like Vietnam, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Myanmar. In their joint letter to Rubio, Sens. Shaheen and Van Hollen request that the secretary raise concern about their cases and direct relevant regional bureaus to engage on their behalf where appropriate. They are also requesting that he provide a plan to secure these journalists' release following grant terminations for USAGM networks and its entities. The big picture: For decades, support for government-funded international broadcasters was bipartisan. But in recent years, Republicans in Congress have shown less support for saving those agencies. The first Trump administration tried to target USAGM on a smaller scale, but largely faced legal setbacks. In the second Trump administration, those efforts have ramped up significantly. The Trump administration ordered the firings of hundreds of workers at USAGM broadcasters earlier this year. Those outlets and some of their employees have subsequently sued the administration, with mixed results. What to watch: While the administration faced early legal setbacks, broadcasters have since faced challenges.
