The powerful words of the late Fred Rogers have gone viral following the Senate’s vote in favor of a bill that will cut federal funding to public broadcast networks PBS and NPR.

On Wednesday (July 16), Senate Republicans won a close 51-48 vote to pass the legislation, which will see President Donald Trump and his administration reclaim $9 billion that Congress had previously approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Trump, who has long argued that PBS and NPR are “biased,” now needs to sign the bill into law for it to go ahead.

Following the news, a speech from the host of Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood, testifying before Congress in 1969, was shared on social media and quickly went viral. Rogers spoke to Congress as President Richard Nixon proposed a plan to cut funding for public broadcasting from $20 million to $10 million.

The beloved children’s television host spoke passionately about the importance of public broadcasting, specifically its educational programming for kids.

As the Senate prepares to vote on federal funding cuts for PBS and NPR, let’s remember Mr. Rogers’ words on the importance of public broadcasting. pic.twitter.com/I6xihDyVEA

— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) July 16, 2025

“We deal with such things as the inner drama of childhood,” Rogers said. “We deal with such things as getting a haircut, or the feelings about brothers and sisters, the kind of anger that arises in simple family situations. And we deal with it constructively.”

When a senator asked him to expand, Rogers explained, “I end the program every day by saying, ‘You’ve made this day a special day, by just your being you. There’s no person in the whole world like you. And I like you, just the way you are.’ If we in public television can make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we’ll have done a great service for mental health.”

The senator agreed, responding, “I think that’s wonderful. Looks like you just got your $20 million.”

As for what’s next, PBS CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement on Thursday (July 17) that the network will be “forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.”

NPR also released a statement, saying, “Tonight, our network’s service to the nation suffered a tremendous setback. Together — and with support from listeners and readers in communities around the nation — we will work to rebuild.”

While taxpayer money accounts for only a portion of PBS and NPR’s funding, the cuts are still expected to have a significant impact, particularly in rural areas. This is because stations in small communities tend to rely more heavily on federal funding, while those in larger markets have various outside sources of income.

“These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,” Kerger added.