RATES   _____________________ STNORBERT   RATES  

Socialize

In Another Big Middle Finger to Trump, Congress Agrees to Fund Voice of America

January 13, 2026

Lawmakers from both parties and houses of Congress have agreed to provide about $653 million to fund Voice of America’s parent agency, rejecting President Donald Trump’s demand to defund the international broadcaster and shut it down.

republicans in the Senate apparently have got some guts lately and the latest spurn of Trump cuts during Felon Musk’s reign.

A bipartisan spending bill released Sunday would allocate $643 million for broadcasting from the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, plus nearly $10 million for capital improvements. That figure is down from the $867 million appropriated for the agency each of the past two years, but it’s more than four times the $153 million Trump requested that Congress provide to “support the orderly shutdown of USAGM operations.”

The outlay is included in a broader bipartisan spending deal negotiated by House and Senate appropriators. The package still requires House and Senate approval before heading to Trump’s desk.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login