Republicans keep pressure on NPR and controversial CEO amid political bias scandal

Congressional Republicans are making use of pressure to both National Public Broadcasting (NPR) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) amid NPR’s bias scandal. 

A collection of letters to each entities have been despatched from each House and Senate Republicans, requesting motion to make sure NPR’s integrity and handle the allegations of ideological bias made by senior editor Uri Berliner, who has since left the group. 

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce requested NPR CEO Katherine Maher to appear Wednesday for an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee listening to on the allegations. 

“The Committee has concerns about the direction in which NPR may be headed under past and present leadership,” Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., wrote. 

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A gaggle of Republican senators despatched a letter to Katherine Maher, urging her to appropriate the ideological strategy at NPR.  (Getty Images)

However, a spokesperson for NPR instructed Fox News Digital in a press release that Maher wouldn’t be becoming a member of the subcommittee to testify. She is prepared to testify on a special date, the spokesperson added. 

“NPR respects the committee and its request and has offered to testify on a date in the near future that works for the committee and Maher,” the spokesperson stated. “NPR has a previously scheduled and publicly posted all-day meeting of its board of directors on that date, Maher’s first such meeting since she joined NPR just six weeks ago. These meetings are scheduled more than a year in advance.

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The House Energy & Commerce Committee, led by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, left, is probing NPR and its CEO Katherine Maher, right. (Getty Images)

“Maher is subsequently unable to attend this week’s listening to and has communicated that to the committee and proposed alternate dates. Maher will present written testimony in her absence,” the spokesperson continued. 

A spokesperson for the House Energy and Commerce committee told Fox News Digital Maher’s choice not to testify on Wednesday “speaks volumes.”

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Cruz, ranking member of the Senate Commerce committee, sent a letter to CPB seeking answers.  (Getty Images)

“The chair appears to be like ahead to reviewing her thorough and clear responses to the committee’s letter,” the spokesperson said. 

A spokesperson for Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairwoman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., did not say whether she is concerned by the allegations made against NPR or if she would invite Maher to testify in the Senate. 

“The chair is concentrated on getting a five-year reauthorization handed,” the spokesperson said, referencing the FAA re-authorization bill that has a deadline of May 10. 

CPB has also been the recipient of letters scrutinizing its grant funding to NPR amid the scandal. Both Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., have sent such letters. 

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Rep. Bob Good introduced a bill to defund NPR. (Getty Images and Fox News Digital)

Asked by Fox News Digital for comment on the letters and any concerns the corporation might have over the revelations at NPR, CPB simply replied on Tuesday it “has confirmed receipt of Senator Cruz’s letter and will reply in a well timed method.”

The allegations of ideological bias in NPR’s newsroom have also led to bills being discussed in both chambers and introduced in the House to cut the organization’s funding. 

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One such attempt by House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., would stop NPR from receiving federal funding, while also preventing public radio stations with federal grants from using them to buy content from or pay dues to NPR.

Berliner’s scathing essay addressing his concerns with his employer was published roughly one month ago, on April 9. Among other revelations, Berliner discovered that the NPR Washington, D.C., newsroom held zero Republicans, compared to 87 Democrats.