Congress Funds Voice of America, Defying Trump Shutdown Effort

Lawmakers from both parties unveiled a bipartisan spending deal to fund USAGM at about $653 million, including Voice of America operations and capital improvements, rebuking President Trump’s push to defund and shut down the agency. The package would provide roughly $643 million for broadcasting plus $10 million for capital needs—more than Trump requested but less than recent years—and would also continue funding for grantees like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Open Technology Fund. The measure follows Trump’s dismantling order and related court actions, with final passage still required from both chambers.