Loss of the group of Woodrow Wilson experts to reduce the analysis of policies available for the US government; Homeless people program, museums and libraries to also feel a massive pinch.
• Woodrow Wilson Think Tank loss to reduce the analysis of policies available for the US government.
• The homeless people program, museums and libraries will also feel a mass pinch
Washington: The Executive Order of President Donald Trump to close seven federal agencies, including the government -financed transmission service Voice of America (Voa) – It will be a setback for homeless programs, libraries and museums, as well as the quality of the analysis of policies available for the administration of global events will decrease.
The president’s order, entitled “Continuing the reduction of federal bureaucracy,” attacked the global media agency of the United States Omera (Usagm. Voa‘S of the parent company), as well as the group of experts from the Woodrow Wilson International Center, and the Museum and Library Services Institute (IMLS), an agency that supports libraries, archives and museums in all states.
The Integencial Council of the United States personality (Usich), the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the Fund of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) were also dismantled.
The closing of the Wilson Center, a non -partisan research center, could lead to a decreased policy analysis and hinder the informed dialogue on complex global issues, which potentially affects the quality of the political decisions of the United States.
Without federal support, libraries and museums may have difficulty maintaining and improving services, limiting public access to educational and cultural resources. The Usich, whose objective is to prevent and end the lack of housing, will face challenges to coordinate their efforts, risking fragmented services and a reduced effectiveness throughout the country.
FMCS provides mediation and conflict resolution services to prevent or resolve labor disputes and improve work management relationships.
Eliminating the CDFI fund could reduce investments in unattended communities, stop economic development and perpetuate financial disparities. In addition, minority -owned companies could lose critical support services through the closure of MBDA, hindering their growth and contributing to expand economic inequalities.
Although the total number of employees in these agencies is not clear, media reports suggest that these institutions employ between 400 and 500 people.
As a group, USAGM uses approximately 3,500 workers with a budget of $ 886 million in 2024, according to their latest report to Congress.
Since the inauguration of Trump on January 20, 2025, the Administration has significantly reduced the federal workforce. More than 200,000 federal employees have been dismissed in multiple agencies, part of a broader strategy led by the Elon Musk Government Efficiency Department (Doge) to reduce government expenses.
Voa falls silently
A review of VoaThe various websites showed that they had not been updated since March 15, and their radio stations have also been silent after the transmission for about 80 years.
The closure of Voa It will affect more than 100 Pakistani journalists who work for their services Urdu and Pashto. Voa Offices of the offices in Washington, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, transmitting in almost 50 languages.
Next to VoaUsagm also runs Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. CBS and BBC news They reported that their bosses had been notified that their federal subsidies had been completed.
The president had defended his movement accusing Voa of being “anti-trump” and “radical”. On the other hand, critics of Voa They have long accused the departure of being a nozzle for the propaganda of us.
Criticism
According ReutersReporters based in Paris Without Borders (RSF) criticized the movement, with its general director, Thibaut Bruttin, saying that “threatens press freedom worldwide and denies 80 years of US history to support a free flow of information.”
The president of the National Press Club in Washington, Mike Balsamo, also issued a statement saying the cuts in Voa He undermined the United States’s commitment to a free and independent press.
The International Transmission Association has asked the Trump Administration to reversed its decision to reduce federal funds to Voice of America and several other prodemocratic media, warning that beachable authoritarian regimes in the world, the Financial Times reported.
Posted in Dawn, March 17, 2025