Trump dismantles programs, including Voice of America

President Donald Trump has ordered the dismantling of seven government offices, including the parent of Voice of America.

Kari Lake with Donald Trump at an election rally in Arizona last year. Picture: Getty Images.

President Donald Trump has ordered the dismantling of seven government offices, including the parent of Voice of America and another focused on solving homelessness – part of his continuing mission to reduce the size of the federal government.

The executive order stands to test the bounds of presidential power, as congress created most of the small offices through statute.

The order instructs the offices to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

One of the offices that the executive order seeks to eliminate is the US Agency for Global Media, which is the parent for Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Those organisations were established to emphasise democratic values by providing news in countries where a free press is threatened, including Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Ukraine. The organisations employ thousands of journalists.

Mr Trump selected Kari Lake as his top adviser for the agency. Ms Lake is a former Arizona journalist who ran unsuccessfully for governor and Senate, adopting Mr Trump’s bold style and consistently criticising the media that covered her race.

Ms Lake on Sunday posted a link to the order on social media, saying: “If you are an employee of the agency please check your email immediately for more information.” Employees of Voice of America received an email over the weekend saying that their employment was terminated.

It is unclear how widespread the message was. Ms Lake on Sunday sent a letter, which was viewed by The Wall Street Journal, to Radio Free Europe/Radio Free Liberty’s chief financial officer Joseph Lataille terminating federal funding.

The other offices included in Mr Trump’s order were: the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, formed to ease labour-management conflicts; the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, a think tank; the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides grants to libraries and museums; the US Interagency Council on Homelessness; the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which promotes access to capital and local economic growth; and the Minority Business Development Agency, which is housed under the Commerce Department.

The Trump administration has moved to rapidly reduce the size of the federal government, throwing the workforce into tumult, with thousands of people losing their jobs – and then in some cases getting them back following court orders. There are roughly 2.3 million Americans working for the federal government in civilian jobs.

While relatively obscure, the offices were largely established with bipartisan support. The Woodrow Wilson Centre, for example, describes itself as “fiercely nonpartisan” on its website and was established by congress in 1968.

The limiting of services could have local impacts. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the country, according to its website.
The Wall Street Journal