Note to staff
VOA director ‘encouraged’ by parts of Rogers’ testimony to Senate committee
By Michael Abramowitz, VOA director
Published
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this note finds you as well as possible under the circumstances. I want to provide some updates on our legal and congressional situations.
Sarah Rogers, President Trump’s nominee as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Agency, testified last week at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I am encouraged by some of her statements.
I took note, particularly, that Ms. Rogers said she intends to bring back staff and restore some coverage in Latin America and Africa, among other key areas where Voice of America has not been broadcasting over the last 16 months. Ms. Rogers’ testimony suggests she recognizes the need for a strong VOA, which plays such a vital role in telling America’s story and combating false Chinese and Russian information being disseminated globally.
It’s not clear when the Senate will take up Ms. Rogers’ nomination, nor did she clarify the details of her plans to “stabilize” the agency, as she put it during her testimony. But I am hopeful the testimony points the way to a return to more robust programming from Voice of America.
Meanwhile, litigation involving Voice of America continues, although key decisions await rulings from the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. As you may know, Judge Lamberth ordered all of VOA’s remaining federal employees back to work, a decision that has been stayed until the court can consider the government’s appeal. A decision is not likely until the end of the year or later.
Lawyers for my case and the other VOA plaintiffs continue to press for implementation of Judge Lamberth’s other orders, which have not been stayed. This includes the Judge’s order that all of Kari Lake’s actions are vacated and the status quo that existed before should be restored.
Finally, I am grateful to American University for a program launched to assist impacted VOA journalists in creating new media ventures. Some three dozen of you have taken advantage of the opportunity, and there will be another boot camp this fall for those of you interested in the program.
Please know that I am heartbroken by what has happened to Voice of America over the past 16 months and look forward to an improvement in our fortunes.
With respect,
Mike