USAGM Funding Cut 25% in GOP Spending Deal Despite Trump Order to Shutter Agency
Congress approved $643 million for the U.S. Agency for Global Media in the FY2026 National Security, Department of State and Related Programs bill — roughly a 25% cut that lawmakers say was negotiated after talks involving USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake. The reduced funding passed as House Republicans, divided over former President Trump’s executive order to shutter the agency (courts said he lacked authority to strip congressionally approved funding), opted to accept the cut to keep a must‑pass bill intact given their razor‑thin majority.
📌 Key Facts
- Congress passed the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Act (NSRP) this week, providing $643 million in FY2026 funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
- Rep. Mark Alford said the $643 million level represents about a 25% reduction in USAGM’s budget and was negotiated after talks with USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake, who is close to former President Trump.
- House Republicans kept reduced USAGM funding in the must‑pass spending bill rather than try to eliminate it, fearing that a fight could derail the broader package.
- Background: President Trump previously issued an executive order seeking to shutter USAGM, but courts ruled he lacked the authority to remove congressionally approved funding for the agency.
- Rep. Clay Higgins, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said he would prefer USAGM receive 'zero' federal dollars but voted for the overall spending package, arguing Republicans must 'pick their battles' given their razor‑thin two‑seat House majority after Marjorie Taylor Greene’s retirement and Doug LaMalfa’s death.
📊 Relevant Data
Venezuelan immigrants in the United States are highly educated, with 53% of those ages 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2024, compared to 33% of the U.S.-born population and 36% of all U.S. immigrants.
7 facts about Venezuelans in the US — Pew Research Center
U.S. sanctions on Venezuela from 2017 to 2023 contributed to a loss of oil revenue equivalent to 213% of the country's GDP, exacerbating economic collapse and migration pressures.
They Are Making Venezuela's Economy Scream: The Eighteenth Newsletter (2025) — Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
U.S. sanctions on Iran have directly led to lower per capita income by restricting oil exports, eroding the middle class and contributing to economic migration factors from 2018 to 2025.
Voice of America, under USAGM, reaches a weekly audience of more than 361 million people in 49 languages globally as of 2025.
VOA – USAGM — U.S. Agency for Global Media
In Iran, Voice of America maintained a weekly reach of 15.9% of the adult population, equating to more than 10 million adults, as of 2021, with expansions in coverage noted in 2025-2026.
VOA's Weekly Audience Grew by More Than 33 Million in the Last Year — Inside VOA
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Congress passed the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Act (NSRP) this week with $643 million in FY 2026 funding for USAGM.
- Rep. Mark Alford says that level represents about a 25% reduction in USAGM’s budget and was negotiated after talks with USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake, who is close to Trump.
- The article details GOP internal tensions: Trump previously issued an executive order to shutter USAGM, but courts ruled he lacked power to remove its congressionally approved funding, and House Republicans with a razor‑thin majority opted to keep reduced funding in a must‑pass bill rather than risk derailing it.
- Rep. Clay Higgins, a Freedom Caucus member, says he would prefer USAGM receive 'zero' federal dollars but voted for the broader package, arguing Republicans must 'pick their battles' given their two‑seat margin after Marjorie Taylor Greene’s retirement and Doug LaMalfa’s death.