Congress has turned a deaf ear to the public and taken the next step to unplug PBS and NPR.

Last night, a House committee voted to halve funding for public broadcasting -- cuts that are so drastic that they will decimate public television and radio stations across the country. We stand to lose the educational, news and cultural programs that Americans trust above all others.

In the past week, nearly one million Americans have signed petitions to stop Congress from taking this action against PBS, NPR and other public media. Tens of thousands more have joined mass call-ins urging representatives to restore funding. But our elected officials have ignored the outcry.