Shorouk Express
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.
