Representative Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) said that it was Voice of America’s controversial coverage of Hamas that prompted Congress to cut the budget of its federal parent agency, calling into question the accuracy of claims that the agency’s chief made internally to her staff this year.
Voice of America is overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, a federal office whose CEO is appointed by the president. The USAGM is currently implementing funding cuts imposed by an appropriations measure passed in March. Last month, the House passed an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that would continue to pare back funding for the USAGM and, therefore, VOA.
During an all-hands town-hall meeting for agency staff in April, USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett said: “The one thing that I want to make sure you understand is when people start talking about budget cutting and tightening our belts, this is coming from Congress. Don’t blame your bosses for the things that they’re doing. It’s not their fault.”
But Issa directly contradicted that statement, saying that Congress cut USAGM’s funding in response to VOA’s failure to live up to its charter, which stresses that its coverage must be objective.
An Issa-authored amendment to a bill funding State Department and foreign-policy programs zeroes out, then restores, $16 million in funding for USAGM. A description of the amendment explains that it does this to contradict USAGM’s claims that the budget cuts “are due to the budget environment and not, in part, to performance and a lack of adherence to the Charter (including staff discipline issues and an unwillingness to call Hamas members terrorists without attribution).” The bill has not yet passed the Senate, and it’s not clear if this largely symbolic language will remain in the version that makes it to the president’s desk.
Issa was referring to a controversy involving VOA last year. Soon after the October 7 terrorist attacks, VOA senior editors instructed editorial staff not to refer to Hamas as “terrorists” without attribution. After members of Congress wrote to VOA and USAGM to condemn that policy, the outlet officially revoked it in a memo to staff in December. Lawmakers have previously raised concern about a range of other alleged security and vetting lapses.
In a statement to National Review, Bennett said that her agency’s position on the budget cuts remains unchanged. “At a time when accurate news and information supporting freedom and democracy is needed more than ever, USAGM, its broadcast entities, and our dedicated staff deserve the full funding and support of the US Congress. We are confident that we have their support,” she said.
Bennett and VOA director Michael Abramowitz, who took the reins at the outlet last month, will testify before a House Foreign Affairs Committee panel next week during a hearing focused on USAGM.