Agency that tried to shut Voice of America is now rehiring staff and buying equipment, IG finds
Congress funded the agency at $643 million for fiscal 2026, not the $153 million shutdown the administration projected.
A State Department inspector general report says the U.S. Agency for Global Media is buying new equipment and rehiring staff. It is also paying 420 employees about $1.6 million a week to stay on leave. The report says the agency could not show it weighed the costs and benefits of the cuts.
- Administration's projected cost to shut the agency down in fiscal 2026: $153 million.
- Funding Congress gave the agency for fiscal 2026: $643 million.
- Leave pay for 420 idled employees: $3.2 million every two weeks.