The White House’s budget director justified proposed cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by saying that it’s not fair to ask a “single mom in Detroit” or a “coal miner” to pay for it.

The notion that people’s tax dollars shouldn’t be spent on programs they don’t use is confusing enough; by that logic, the taxes from people without children wouldn’t go toward public schools and people who drive to work wouldn’t pay for public transportation. But Mulvaney’s comment is especially bizarre considering Sesame Street’s viewership: parents and their children.

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB, said in a statement that the elimination of federal funds would be devastating ... “Public media is one of America’s best investments. At approximately $1.35 per citizen per year, it pays huge dividends to every American,” she continued.