The United States House of Representatives did the right thing June 23, when it voted to partially restore funding for public broadcasting. In the weeks preceding, the threat of removing $100 million from the corporation’s budget had stations in a cold sweat thinking about what they would do to make up the lost 25 percent of funding.

However, one cut that still stands is $23 million from the Ready to Learn program.

The program partners with the U.S. Department of Education to subsidize children’s programming and distribute educational materials.

Shows funded by Ready to Learn include “Sesame Street,” “Arthur” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.”

The money also supports research and provides start-money to gain support from private corporations.

This program, arguably, has had more success with children’s education than No Child Left Behind.

According to Pbs.org, Ready to Learn has held 245 workshops in Iowa as of September 2003 and reached 6,702 children.

According to a report by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, Iowa did not receive $51 million last year from the No Child Left Behind program, $29 million of which was earmarked for academic support low-income students, $2 million to raise teacher quality and $4 million for after-school programs.

With this program being grossly under-funded, where are teachers, students and parents supposed to turn?

How can both parties say they support education, but then make crippling cuts like these to educational programming?

Up to this point, PBS has been an educational asset to families across the nation. Without the funding it needs, it will struggle to provide services that, at one time or another, we have all used.

This country needs public broadcasting now more than ever.

It is the only news source that is free from pressure by shareholders and advertisers. It is the only news source free from political attack ads.

While the U.S. Senate still has to approve the appropriation on July 12, the step by the House must not be discounted.

However, it is deeply disturbing that this institution would be considered “expendable” by the Bush administration.