Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia mockingly referenced several Sesame Street characters to chastise Republicans leading a House DOGE subcommittee hearing aimed at putting PBS and NPR in the hot seat over their federal funding amid a renewed GOP push to defund public media.
“Now, Ms. Kerger, the American people want to know, is Elmo now or has he ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States? A yes or no?” the Democrat from California asked Paula Kerger, the CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
“No,” Kerger replied.
“Now, are you sure, Ms. Kerger? Because he’s obviously red,” Garcia joked.
“Well, he is a puppet, but no,” Kerger replied.
“Now, that’s not all. He also has a very dangerous message about sharing and helping each other. He’s indoctrinating our kids that sharing is caring. Maybe he’s part of a major socialist plot, and maybe that’s why the chairwoman is having this hearing today,” Garcia said, referring to the subcommittee’s chair, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Garcia also speculated that perhaps Cookie Monster is being targeted because of Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s aversion to fast food. “Are we silencing pro-cookie voters?” he asked.
Regarding Big Bird, Garcia said, “Since Elon Musk actually fired USDA workers who have been working on the bird flu, does it make sense to also fire Big Bird?”
“This, of course, is Bert and Ernie,” Garcia later added, showing a photograph of the characters. “Now, these two guys actually live together. They’re friends. They’re supportive of each other. Now, that might be triggering to our chairwoman and someone in this committee, and perhaps that's also why we're here today. Ms. Kerger, an important question, are Bert and Ernie part of an extreme homosexual agenda?”
