McCain rebuffed on PBS construction funds

With hopes of finishing the $64.9 billion fiscal 2010 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill fading Thursday, the Senate defeated, 64-33, an amendment offered by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), that would have eliminated $20 million in funding for the Public Telecommunications Facilities Planning and Construction program. The program awards competitive grants that help public broadcasting stations, state and local governments, Indian tribes and nonprofit organizations bring educational and cultural programming to the public using telecommunications technologies. The program received $20 million for fiscal 2009, but the White House recommended it receive no funding for the fiscal year. McCain argued that the funds are not needed because the job for which it was designed has been completed. Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) opposed the amendment because the program helps local public television station to modernize.