Years ago, I was honored to be recruited by the George H. W. Bush administration for a senior role at Voice of America—one of the most respected and far-reaching instruments of U.S. diplomacy and democratic outreach.
Therefore, I have seen firsthand the extraordinary power VOA has to provide hope, truth, and a lifeline to freedom for those living under oppressive regimes. That mission is now under direct threat.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued a temporary injunction blocking a plan by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) that would eliminate hundreds of positions at VOA, gutting nearly its entire full-time staff. This ruling may be the final opportunity for Congress and the Administration to step back from a disastrous decision and reconsider what is at stake.
And the stakes could not be higher. In an era marked by the rise of authoritarianism, rampant disinformation, and geopolitical instability, VOA remains a vital source of independent, fact-based journalism for millions around the world. It is a platform that broadcasts not just news, but America’s core values: freedom of speech, press freedom, and democratic governance. To dismantle VOA would be to dismantle a cornerstone of American soft power, at the precise moment when our global leadership depends on it.
VOA was never intended to be a political tool or propaganda machine. It is, and must remain, a journalistic institution committed to truth, objectivity, and transparency. Those principles are what give it credibility abroad. From Moscow to Tehran, from Caracas to Beijing, people rely on VOA for accurate reporting that their own governments often deny them.
Eliminating this voice would not only silence journalists but would surrender the global information space to adversaries who actively distort truth to serve authoritarian ends. China, Russia, and Iran already flood the airwaves and digital media with anti-American narratives, disinformation, and state-sponsored propaganda. If VOA goes dark, they will fill the void.
Let’s be clear: this is not just a matter of budgets and bureaucracies. This is a matter of national security, moral responsibility, and global leadership.
Please, urge your Congressional Representatives and the Republican Administration to act swiftly, to restore funding, protect VOA’s journalistic independence, and reaffirm America’s commitment to the free flow of information. Now is the time to strengthen, not gut, institutions like VOA, which stand at the front lines of democracy promotion.
VOA has told America’s story for over 80 years. It must be allowed to continue doing so, for the sake of those who listen, and for the future of America’s voice in the free world.