• Loss of Woodrow Wilson think tank to diminish policy analysis available to US govt
• Homelessness programme, museums and libraries will also feel a massive pinch

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s executive order to shutter seven federal agencies — including the government-funded broadcasting service Voice of America (VOA) — will be a setback for homeless programmes, libraries and museums, as well as diminishing the quality of policy analysis available to the administration on global events.

The president’s order, titled ‘Continuing the reduction of the federal bureaucracy’, targeted the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM — *VOA’*s parent company), as well as the Woodrow Wilson International Centre think tank, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — an agency that supports libraries, archives and museums in every state.

Also dismantled was the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

The closure of the Wilson Centre, a nonpartisan research hub, could result in diminished policy analysis and hinder informed dialogue on complex global issues, potentially impacting the quality of US policy decisions.

Without federal support, libraries and museums may struggle to maintain and improve services, limiting public access to educational and cultural resources. The USICH, which aims to prevent and end homelessness, will face challenges in coordinating its efforts, risking fragmented services and reduced effectiveness nationwide.

The FMCS provides mediation and conflict resolution services to prevent or resolve labour disputes and improve labour-management relations.

Eliminating the CDFI Fund could reduce investments in underserved communities, stalling economic development and perpetuating financial disparities. Additionally, minority-owned businesses might lose critical support services though the closure of MBDA, hindering their growth and contributing to widening economic inequalities.

Although the total number of employees across these agencies is unclear, media reports suggest that between 400 and 500 individuals are employed by these institutions.

As a group, USAGM employs roughly 3,500 workers with an $886-million budget in 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.

Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, the administration has significantly reduced the federal workforce. Over 200,000 federal employees have been laid off across multiple agencies, part of a broader strategy led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash government expenditures.

VOA falls silent

A review of VOA’s various websites showed they had not been updated since March 15, and its radio stations have also fallen silent after broadcasting for around 80 years.

The closure of VOA will affect over 100 Pakistani journalists working for its Urdu and Pashto services. VOA operated bureaus in Washington, Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, broadcasting in nearly 50 languages.

Alongside VOA, USAGM also runs Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. CBS and BBC News reported that the bosses of both had been notified that their federal grants had been terminated.

The president had defended his move by accusing VOA of being “anti-Trump” and “radical.” On the other hand, critics of VOA have long accused the outlet of being a mouthpiece for US propaganda.

Criticism

According to Reuters, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) blasted the move, with its director general, Thibaut Bruttin, saying it “threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information.”

The president of the National Press Club in Washington, Mike Balsamo, also released a statement saying the cuts at VOA undermined America’s commitment to a free and independent press.

The Association for International Broadcasting has called on the Trump administration to reverse its decision to slash federal funding to Voice of America and several other pro-democracy news media, warning it would embolden authoritarian regimes worldwide, the Financial Times reported.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025