John –

On Thursday, Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding for public broadcasting – putting your free local news, arts, and investigative reporting at risk.

But most importantly, they're destroying the ability for public broadcasters to give emergency weather alerts and information during severe storms and natural disasters.

Just last week, I spoke with the Oregon State Fire Marshall about how dangerous cuts to disaster preparedness and weather-related response will be for Oregonians.

Now, Congressional Republicans took it one step further – they're making us less safe by cutting funding they already approved just because Trump told them to.

Trump and Republicans have had their sights set on NPR and PBS for years. Trump can't stand independent news organizations that he can't control, intimidate, or profit from.

Simply put, they want to shut down reporting they don't like. And they do not care if emergency response, or anything else, gets shut down with it – even if it means people will get hurt.

It's all a part of how they operate these days: silence independent voices and erode the public institutions that keep us informed and connected.

I value truth, transparency, and accountability – and I will never stop fighting for it as your Congresswoman.

Val