'I'm Trying To Be As Civil As I Can': Gary Peters Gets Fed Up With Russell Vought Asking About Cuts

Forbes Breaking News

At Wednesday's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) questioned OMB Dir. Russell Vought.

Transcript

00:00Senator Peters.

00:02Thank you, Madam Chair.

00:04Mr. Vogt, during your confirmation process before the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee,

00:10where I'm the ranking member, you testified, and this is, quote,

00:14I will always commit to upholding the law.

00:17Yet in January, you refused to commit to following the Empowerment Control Act,

00:22and now OMB is leading an unprecedented and brazen campaign of illegal activity

00:28as you break the law and you refuse to spend congressionally passed appropriations,

00:33robbing American communities of the resources that they need.

00:37And I want to pick up Senator Murkowski's point on public broadcasting

00:44and kind of reiterate what I'm seeing in Michigan as well.

00:47You've heard the impact that it's going to have on Alaska,

00:50and your rescissions package cuts to public broadcasting won't just hurt communities' access to local news

00:57and education, but as you heard, it's going to cut critical funds for rural television and radio stations

01:03like WNMU in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, WKAR in Lansing and more,

01:08that provide emergency alert services during disasters and public safety situations.

01:15They're often the only folks that do that, particularly in rural America.

01:19Earlier this year, WCMU out of Mount Pleasant, Michigan saved lives when it stepped up to coordinate emergency information

01:28during a catastrophic ice storm in Michigan, when commercial towers went down.

01:33This is not a luxury, but it's a fundamental public responsibility.

01:37Public broadcasters are the backbone of emergency alerting, but I've heard from Michigan broadcasters,

01:43especially those in rural areas, that they may not survive if these cuts go through.

01:49That could mean no emergency alerts for over 250,000 residents in the Upper Peninsula alone,

01:56not to mention the thousands more in northern Michigan, mid-Michigan, or the Thumb.

02:01So, Director Vogt, I just need a yes or no answer to this question.

02:05Were you fully aware of the emergency alert function that public broadcasters play

02:10when recommending eliminating these funds in the rescission package?

02:15Senator, certainly aware of the extent to which public broadcasting has an impact on these communities,

02:22and it's our view is that to the extent that it has been politicized, we have a real problem in this country.

02:27You said something earlier, which you said was misstated.

02:31We did not impound funds in January. We have not impounded funds yet.

02:34It certainly wasn't as a result of the malicious compliance that was conducted with regard to the pandemic.

02:39It was conducted with regard to the freeze memo that you were referring to.

02:42So, I think it's important that the record reflect that.

02:45We're seeing, Mr. Roode, thank you.

02:47We're seeing you're holding funds.

02:48You're holding funds that have been appropriated by Congress that's not going out.

02:51Communities and others are being heard.

02:53We're conducting a programmatic review.

02:54I would like you to answer the emergency.

02:55I would like you to answer the question that I asked.

02:57Are you aware about the emergency alert function and how critical that is in rural America?

03:02Is that something?

03:03Certainly aware of the extent to which public broadcasting performs a host of different purposes,

03:08and we continue to have major...

03:10Specifically emergency broadcasting.

03:11Do you know that?

03:12And we continue to maintain funding for other programs,

03:14one of them which includes a FEMA for this type of work and this type of service.

03:18So, you know, FEMA can't do it all.

03:19That's where it's pretty clear what's happening here.

03:21So, how are you going to fill the budget backholds?

03:23How are these people going to be able to get that information?

03:25Do you have a plan for that?

03:27We believe that we have put forward a very reasonable proposal.

03:30We've maintained the fiscal year 25 funds that are already obligated to the Corporation

03:37for Public Broadcasting.

03:39Maybe they should get a sense for the degree to which Congress and the President is moving

03:43against that funding and not fund as much NPR and PBS.

03:49Yes.

03:50The political program that is underway in which we are saying here, Senator, in 2022, NPR

03:56ran a feature title, What Queer Ducks Can Teach Teenagers About Sexuality in the Animal Kingdom?

04:01That's not the question, Mr. Vogt.

04:02That's not the question, Mr. Vogt.

04:03I have another question for you.

04:04I have another question for you.

04:05Mr. Vogt.

04:06Mr. Vogt.

04:07Mr. Vogt.

04:08Mr. Vogt.

04:09Mr. Vogt.

04:10Mr. Vogt.

04:11Mr. Vogt.

04:12Mr. Vogt.

04:13Can you show a little bit of respect here?

04:14I don't need to about you have questions that I'm not asking.

04:18Please.

04:19I'm trying to be as civil as I can and that's who I am, but I don't expect to have a witness

04:25that behaves as you do.

04:27It's really disrespectful, but it's certainly understandable given the kinds of activities.

04:34Mr. Vogt.

04:35I have another question for you.

04:36Control Act only permits the president to refuse to spend the funds proposed for rescission for up

04:41to 45 days. If Congress does not approve a rescission package, the president then must release

04:48the funds to be spent on these critical projects. So my question for you, sir, and this is the

04:53question I'd like to have answered, do you commit that if Congress does not pass a rescission bill

04:59to cancel these funds, that the administration will then release them so that they can be spent?

05:04Yes, if Congress does not pass this $9.4 billion rescission, we will release the funds for

05:09this multi-year package. Very good. Thank you, Madam President. Madam Chair.

Category

Transcript

Recommended