WASHINGTON – House Republicans on Thursday took another swipe at taxpayer support for public broadcasting with legislation to bar federal funding of National Public Radio and prohibit local public stations from using federal money to pay NPR dues.

Democrats generally criticized what they saw as an effort by the GOP to punish NPR for what conservatives say is its liberal bias.

Republicans say NPR is fully capable of standing on its own without federal dollars.

Last month the Republican majority pushed through budget cuts for the remainder of this budget year that included taking back some $86 million budgeted for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

-Special to the

Star-News