WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the President issued an Executive Order calling for the elimination of non-statutory components of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which manages Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Open Technology Fund, and Frontline Media Fund:
“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. USAGM’s networks and entities, the independence of which is required by law, employ talented journalists around the world who have dedicated themselves to the mission of informing, engaging, and connecting in support of freedom.
“USAGM-supported journalism has provided invaluable insights into developments inside closed societies, including uncovering issues related to transnational crime and counternarcotics that impact everyday Americans. As a child of the Cold War, the idea that an American President would target networks including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty or Radio Free Asia is unfathomable.
“If President Trump gets his way, those who depend on U.S. supported independent media as alternatives to Chinese and Kremlin run media outlets and those living under authoritarian regimes will lose a critical lifeline. Granite Staters and Americans across the country understand the critical nature of these outlets to support the core American interest of protecting democracy. I will work to ensure that all USAGM functions required by law are protected from this shortsighted assault on global press freedom.”
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