Legal Stay for Voice of America Employees
A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has issued a stay that suspends a lower court’s order requiring Voice of America (VOA) employees to return to work. This decision effectively prolongs a year-long paid leave for the organization’s full-time staff.
This ruling creates a unique legal situation. Even as Congress continues to fund the agency, employees are on the federal payroll yet barred from carrying out their responsibilities.
The administration’s appeal primarily concerns the reinstatement of staff, rather than addressing the broader ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth that aims to prevent efforts to dismantle the organization.
This ongoing legal dispute is part of President Donald Trump’s broader initiative to restructure or even eliminate the government-supported broadcaster, which delivers news to international audiences, including in countries like Russia, China, and Iran.
The White House has referred to the VOA as “The Voice of Radical America,” indicating that this move is aimed at ensuring taxpayers are not funding what it calls “radical propaganda.”
In March 2025, President Trump issued an executive order mandating a significant reduction in the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent organization of VOA.
Kari Lake, a senior advisor for the USAGM and a close ally of the president, has been instrumental in these efforts to dismantle the VOA. However, U.S. District Judge Lamberth and the D.C. Circuit Court have pushed back against these initiatives, ruling that Lake’s appointment was illegal.
This judicial decision nullified all directives approved by Lake, including mass layoffs, leading to a ruling on March 17 that reversed the administration’s previous actions against the broadcaster.
The USAGM has expressed optimism about the recent appellate stay, believing it will allow the administration to pursue its goals without interruption during the ongoing legal process. Nevertheless, bipartisan lawmakers in Congress continue to resist these changes.
Some legislators have cautioned that dismantling the agency could leave a vacuum that adversaries might exploit, filling it with state-sponsored messages, which has prompted moves to secure agency funding despite the administration’s goals for restructuring.
Initially, under Lamberth’s ruling, the agency was to have all full-time staff back to work by March 23. However, after the government claimed it could only reinstate around 70 employees weekly, Lamberth asked the government for a new plan by April 1.
As the appeals process unfolds, over 1,000 employees will continue to be on administrative leave—this could take several months. The court’s order also affects networks like Radio Liberty and Middle East Broadcasting Network.
Separately, the agency has recently begun a hiring initiative for reporters on international contracts instead of reinstating full-time positions that offer federal benefits.
