Katherine Maher, who became the CEO of National Public Radio (NPR) in March, has turned down an invitation from House Republicans to testify before Congress this week regarding claims of left-wing bias at her network.
NPR issued a statement saying that its board of directors had a previously scheduled meeting on Wednesday, the day the hearing will take place on Capitol Hill. It stressed that Maher would be open to testifying at a future date.
“This meeting will be Maher’s first opportunity to review and consult with the Board on the challenges and opportunities facing the organization, including a strategy to lead NPR forward in fulfilling its public service mission to serve all of America,” the statement said.
“Maher is therefore unable to attend this week’s hearing and has communicated that to the committee and proposed alternate dates,” the statement added. “Maher will provide written testimony in her absence.”
Last week, the Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), sent an invitation to Maher, seeking her testimony in response to allegations raised by a longtime editor, Uri Berliner, who has since resigned from NPR.
The invite also raised concerns about Maher’s comments and social media posts displaying personal views in favor of liberal causes and favoring President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump.
“It speaks volumes that Ms. Maher has chosen not to appear tomorrow to answer for how her taxpayer-funded news outlet discriminates against the viewpoints of millions of Americans,” a panel spokesperson told The Daily Wire. “The Chair looks forward to reviewing her thorough and transparent responses to the Committee’s letter.”
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The panel’s calendar shows the hearing still being set to take place on Wednesday with testimony from American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Howard Husock; James Erwin, federal affairs manager for telecommunications at Americans for Tax Reform; NewsBusters executive editor Tim Graham; and Free Press co-CEO Craig Aaron.
“To no surprise NPR President & CEO Katherine Maher is declining to come before the committee I sit on — [the House Energy and Commerce Committee] — to answer basic questions about National Public Radio’s extremely liberal culture and reporting,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) said in a post to X.
“Republicans have known of NPR’s public biases for years – a news broadcast that mostly elite liberals listen to, to feel better about ramming their woke agenda down America’s throat,” he continued, adding, “This just confirms NPR is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”