That’s not very neighborly…
Senate just passed a bill that will cut $1.1 billion from public media, effectively decimating PBS and NPR. In the wake of the news, a video of Fred Rogers, the late host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, testifying before Congress in 1969 is going viral.
Among those who shared the video are the X accounts @TheDemocrats and @cspanhistory:
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
In 1969, Mr. Rogers testified before a Senate Committee to advocate for educational programming and public broadcasting funding. #ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/RtEpYTpxbu
— American History TV (@cspanhistory) July 17, 2025
The speech was about the vital need to protect public services like PBS, NPR, and their local affiliates, because of they value they bring to communities—especially children.
His words are as powerful as ever in the wake of the new cuts, with one X user saying, “We need Mr. Rogers back here or something to convince some cold hearted people about the value of public media. And particularly the programs on PBS.”
We need Mr. Rogers back here or something to convince some cold hearted people about the value of public media. And particularly the programs on PBS. https://t.co/kw6a0Equz9
— Matt Lanza (@mattlanza) July 17, 2025
We’ve Been Here Before
As the saying goes, history has a way of repeating itself.
In 1969, President Richard Nixon and the Republican party put proposed a plan in Congress to slash funding for public broadcasting from $20 million down to $10 million.
At the time, Rogers was the host of the beloved show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a children’s program devoted to helping kids understand and express their feelings.
With public media on the chopping block, he headed to Congress armed with his cardigan, his kindness, and a passionate conviction for his work—and delivered what may just be the most soft-spoken mic drop in congressional history.
#ThrowbackThursday to 1969, when Fred Rogers stood before the U.S. Senate and saved PBS funding with nothing but compassion and conviction.He understood that PBS wasn’t just “TV” — it was a lifeline for children’s education and mental health. From Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood… pic.twitter.com/iWfeMT8xd4
— Voter Protection Project (@voterprotectpac) July 17, 2025
“We deal with such things as the inner drama of childhood,” he 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 explain further, Rogers offered this:
“I end the program every day by saying, ‘You’ve made this day a special day, just by your being you. There’s no person in the whole world like you. And I like you just the way you are,’” he said.
“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.”
Miraculously, the senator agrees. He laughed and replied: “I think that’s wonderful. Looks like you just got your $20 million.”
The Message Still Resonates
Based on the reactions online, Rogers’ message still resonates as strongly as it did five decades ago.
@levarburton after hearing the news about PBS and NPR being defunded. I just want to say thank you for giving us #ReadingRainbow. Thank you @PBS for Sesame Street and Mister Rogers, Bob Ross and other educational programming. 🥹🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/bHOXY08Y0l
— ::ehm:: (@ehm_agination) July 17, 2025
“Fred Rogers believed in the power of public media. So do we,” one X account wrote.
Sesame Street and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood teach empathy, making them a threat to Trump’s agenda of cruelty. PBS also gives you a lot of history and straight news, both also threats to Trump’s dystopian post-modern narratives. https://t.co/UIvclHlrjB
— Thomas (@ThomasGruseck) July 17, 2025
Fred Rogers is no longer here to gently remind politicians about the harm done, especially to children, when public services are canceled. But maybe, just maybe, if we apply the lessons he taught us in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—to listen with kindness, to honor every person’s worth, and to face challenges with patience and empathy—we can still protect the things that make our communities whole.
The post Mister Rogers’ Speech to Congress Tragically Trends After PBS Cuts appeared first on The Daily Beast.
