The Voice of America has been silenced, at least for now,
That mission is especially critical today, ... when America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States.”
It is critical we recognize our agency is funded by hardworking American taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet,
It's not just about losing your income. We have staff and contractors who fear for their safety. We have reporters who work under the radar in authoritarian countries in Asia. We have staff in the US who fear deportation if their work visa is no longer valid."
VOA needs thoughtful reform, and we have made progress in that regard. But today's action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission,
Voice of America has been a priceless asset for the United States, playing an essential role in the fight against communism, fascism, and oppression, and in the fight for freedom and democracy around the world,
If you are an employee of the agency please check your email immediately,
The Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years,
Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker,
Even if the agency survives in some form, the actions being taken today by the Administration will severely damage Voice of America’s ability to foster a world that is safe and free and in doing so is failing to protect U.S. interests,
U.S. taxpayers shouldn’t be funding this,
The decision to dismantle one of America’s greatest national assets will inflict profound harm on the U.S. image, its global interests, and the promotion of democratic values — damage that no adversary could ever achieve,
For decades, Voice of America has delivered fact-based, independent journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist,
From what we can tell, VOA is effectively shutting down from this moment".
Journalists there said the cuts [to staff with access to work] were so widespread that they would effectively shut down the international broadcaster,
This core work cannot be disrupted by DOGE,
Government contracting agencies shall, to the extent permissible by law, require Government contractors to disclose any business they do with Paul Weiss and whether that business is related to the subject of the Government contract,
This order continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary,
We should not be paying outside news organizations to tell us what the news is,
I moved today to cancel expensive and unnecessary newswire contracts for US Agency for Global Media, including tens of millions of dollars in contracts with The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse,