Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Despite Trump Tweet, Order to Dissolve Stars and Stripes Not Yet Rescinded

Carla Babb

   WASHINGTON - Despite atweet from President Donald Trump vowing to
   reverse hisownadministration's budget plan to cutgovernmentfunding for
   an independent military newspaper,Stars and Stripesemployees say they
   remain worried because theorder to defund the news outlet has not yet
   been rescinded by the Pentagon.

   "There's a great deal of anxiety in the staff," Max Lederer, the
   publisher ofStars and Stripessince 2007,'¯told VOA Tuesday. "A little
   less anxiety since Friday, but sinceit(thefunding decision)is still not
   final, there's a lot of concern."

   The Department of Defense spending plans, released in February, cut out
   all government funding for the paperfor the 2021 fiscal year, which
   begins on October 1.

   OnFriday,President Trumptweetedthat he planned to reversethe
   plannedPentagonbudget cuts that would haveended theStars and
   Stripespublication.

   "The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to
   @starsandstripesmagazine under my watch.It will continue to be a
   wonderful source of information to our Great Military!"Trump tweeted.

     The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to
     [1]@starsandstripes magazine under my watch. It will continue to be
     a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [2]September 4, 2020

   The tweet came mere hours after media outlets reported on the
   Pentagon's plans to dissolve the publication.

   But the president's tweets alone do not indicate policy or dictate law,
   andLederer saidthe Pentagon is"still discussing"the status of the
   budget order.

   The House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense
   Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021 on July 31, 2020, which
   included additional funding for the publication. The Senate did not
   include funding for the publicationin its defense spending bill, but
   both houses of Congress have resolutions supporting its mission.

   ADefense Department memobyDefense Media Activity Acting Director Army
   Col. PaulHaversticklast monthinstructed theStars and Stripespublisher
   to provide a plan ofaction "no later than September 15" to
   discontinueStars and Stripespublications and dissolve the news
   organization "no later than January 31, 2021."

   In the case of a continuing resolution (CR) from Congress, which would
   prevent a government shutdown and extend funding temporarily,the
   memo(obtained by VOA)instructed the publisher to plan the "last date
   for publication of the newspaper" "based on the end of the CR or other
   circumstances."

   A bipartisan group of 11 Democratic and four Republican senatorssent a
   letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esperlast week,callingon the
   Departmentof Defenseto maintain funding for the publication, which
   hasmore than1million readers.

   "The $15.5 million currently allocated for the publication ofStars
   andStripesis only a tiny fraction of your Department's annual budget,
   and cutting it would have a significantly negative impact on military
   families and a negligible impact on the Department's bottom line,"said
   the letter, signed bythesenators.

   Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, also sent a
   letter opposing the budget cut, citing strong support forStars and
   Stripesin Congress.

   "As a veteran who has served overseas, I know the value that theStars
   and Stripesbrings to its readers," Graham wrote.

   Stars and Stripesstartedduring the Civil Waras a publication for Union
   troops. Today, it distributes to U.S. service members stationed across
   the globe, including in war zones.

   Most recently, the publication shed light the Defense Department's
   failure to shut down schools on U.S. military installations in Japan
   during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite Japanese public schools ruling
   shutdowns as necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

   "Stars and Stripestells the military's story like no other publication
   can. It was held by GIs in the trenches of World War II and held by
   special forces members at remote outposts in Syria after being flown in
   by Osprey in the battle against ISIS," TaraCopp, a reporter for
   McClatchy who was the Pentagon correspondent forStars and Stripesfrom
   2015-2017, told VOA.

   "It is a rounding error(an inconsequential amount)to DOD,but it is
   much, much more than that to the men and women and their families who
   read it," she added.

   Coppsaid that the publication providesthe time and resources tolook
   intostories many other outlets do not.

   For example, herin-depth investigationintothe [3]2000 Osprey crashat
   Marana Regional Airport near Tucson, Arizona,for the publication in
   2015led to former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work exonerating the
   two Marine Corps pilotswho had beenblamedforthecrash.'¯

References

   1. https://twitter.com/starsandstripes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1301968873487564802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://www.stripes.com/families-of-pilots-killed-in-2000-osprey-crash-want-pentagon-to-set-record-straight-1.370768#.WOONNTvys2w

.