BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 17. The US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has commented on the situation with regard to dismantling the Voice of America and other government-funded media outlets worldwide, Trend reports.
"What I can tell you with all the aspects that are happening in this shift is that it's a fluid situation. And I look forward to watching it unfold, as you do. I know you're all reporters, and some reporters here in the bullpen have been affected. But the fact of the matter is that this is serious business. It's the business of government using taxpayer dollars. So, the same standard applies here. And, of course, it's just happened. I look forward to seeing how this unfolds. But right now, it's new. It's a fluid situation. And we'll have more for you as it unfolds," she said during a briefing.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to eliminate seven additional federal agencies, including the one overseeing Voice of America and other government-funded media outlets worldwide.
The order specifically affects the US Agency for Global Media, which funds media outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.
Additionally, the order mentions the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which is the primary source of federal funding for museums and libraries in the US.
Trump directed the heads of these agencies—mostly lesser-known organizations dealing with labor mediation and homelessness prevention—to eliminate any functions not mandated by law. According to the order, their activities and staffing levels should be reduced to the minimum necessary for fulfilling the legal functions assigned to them.