Senior advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media Kari Lake holds up a photograph, which she says shows an empty Voice of America (VOA) newsroom, as she speaks during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on June 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
"She seemed to me like we’re on the same team on this," Alford said when asked about those conversations. "I continue to communicate with her often and look forward to working with her as she tries to right this program and get it back to its original intent."
At the outset of his second term, Trump issued an executive order shuttering the USAGM, the parent organization of Voice of America, claiming that the organization had a clear bent against Republican principles and didn’t serve the country’s domestic interests. However, when courts ruled that the administration lacked the power needed to remove its congressionally approved funding, the agency remained in place.
Despite the continuation of its funding, Alford believes Republicans took a step toward the president’s wishes, noting that the NSRP bill trims the agency's budget.
DEMOCRAT TAKEOVER FEARS RISE AS GOP CLINGS TO SLIM HOUSE MAJORITY
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., talks with reporters after a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, Sept. 9, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
When asked whether Democrats had pressed to include the USAGM funding in the NSRP package, Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., did not describe the conversations but noted the package had resulted from bipartisan negotiations.
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"How things get into these appropriations bills in this climate — all we do is advocate and leverage whatever we have. Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield," Quigley said.
The NSRP, having cleared both chambers of Congress, now heads to Trump's desk for his signature.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/unity-wins-out-republicans-swallow-643m-funding-trump-opposed-media-agency