Press Releases

Yesterday, Rep. Jim Banks sent a letter to Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee asking them to end U.S. support for the Data Journalism Agency (TEXTY), a Ukrainian NGO that released a list of “opponents of Ukraine.” Rep. Banks and 115 other House Republicans are on the list. During today’s full committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill, House Republicans on the Committee passed a provision to prohibit funding for TEXTY. In response, Rep. Banks released the below statement.

Said Rep. Banks: “I was just designated an ‘opponent of Ukraine,’ after being sanctioned by the Russian regime. I’m not bothered by what foreign nations think of me. But it’s shameful for our agencies to be using Hoosiers’ tax dollars to collaborate with foreign groups that attempt to intimidate U.S. citizens and lawmakers. I’d like to thank the Republicans on the Appropriations Committee for defunding any such work with the Data Journalism Agency.”

Find the TEXTY report here. Rep. Banks was sanctioned by Russia in April 2022.

TEXTY is listed as an “implementing partner” on the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services program.