A federal judge has ordered the Voice of America to restore its operations and return hundreds of employees to work after the Trump administration significantly reduced the international news service over the past year. U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled March 7 that Kari Lake, President Donald Trump's appointee to oversee the U.S. Agency for Global Media, lacked authority to reduce VOA to skeleton staffing.

The government filed notice Thursday to appeal Lamberth's order. In his decision, the judge stated that Lake had "repeatedly thumbed her nose" at laws mandating VOA's operation. The Voice of America was established during World War II to provide news to countries without a free press tradition.

Before the recent reductions, Voice of America operated in 49 languages and reached an estimated 362 million people worldwide. The Trump administration argued that government-run news sources represented bloated government spending and sought reporting more favorable to the current administration. VOA currently operates with greatly reduced staff in Iran, Afghanistan, China, North Korea and regions with large Kurdish populations.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the administration's actions, stating that "President Trump was elected to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse across the administration, including the Voice of America." She indicated the administration would continue pursuing efficiency improvements and that "this will not be the final say on the matter."

VOA director Michael Abramowitz said legislators from both parties support a strong operation and have allocated sufficient funding. Congress set aside $200 million for VOA operations in February's budget bill, representing about a 25% cut from previous appropriations but demonstrating bipartisan support for the agency.

The restoration faces practical challenges beyond the legal dispute. It remains unclear how many of the furloughed employees have found other jobs or retired during their year-long leave. The judge noted he lacked authority to restore hundreds of terminated independent contractors. The administration has also nominated Sarah Rogers as the new head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, pending Senate confirmation.