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Radio Free Europe has filed a lawsuit against the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), arguing that the Trump administration’s decision to cut its congressionally approved funding is unconstitutional.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, last weekend, the United States government cut funding to the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent organization of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), as part of an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. USAGM, established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda and later used to promote “independent” journalism in authoritarian regions, has long been a key player in broadcasting news to countries with restricted press freedom, including China and Russia. The White House justified the cuts by calling USAGM an “unnecessary” part of the federal bureaucracy and stating that taxpayer money should not fund what it described as “radical propaganda.” As a result of the order, around 1,300 VOA employees were placed on administrative leave, and RFA was informed that its federal grant had been terminated, jeopardizing its operations.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) confirmed that they filed a lawsuit against the USAGM and two of its top officials, Senior Adviser Kari Lake and Acting Chief Executive Victor Morales, to prevent the termination of its congressionally approved funding. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that USAGM’s refusal to distribute these funds violates federal law and the US Constitution, which grants Congress exclusive control over federal spending. The cuts have resulted in the halt of $153 million for RFE/RL.
“This case challenges a federal agency’s refusal to abide by Congress’s power of the purse,” the lawsuit states, stressing that passing along the funds is “not an optional choice for the agency to make. It is the law.” RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus warned that cutting the broadcaster’s funding would be a victory for authoritarian regimes. He also warned that “this is not the time to cede terrain to the propaganda and censorship of America’s adversaries.”
Lawmakers from both parties, as well as international officials, have condemned the Trump administration’s move to defund RFE/RL. US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, “The Trump administration’s latest effort to dismantle entities established and funded by Congress that provide accurate, unbiased information to hundreds of millions of people in countries where press freedom is under attack undermines the U.S. commitment to democracy.”
The European Union is also considering emergency financial support to keep the broadcaster operational, with Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvořák stating, “It would be a big mistake to let this institution die.” Multiple EU nations, including Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Poland, and the Baltic states, have voiced support for preserving RFE/RL’s operations, while the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) called the US government’s move “deeply concerning.”
