{"id":62356,"date":"2025-03-16T05:11:28","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T09:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=62356"},"modified":"2025-03-16T05:11:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-16T09:11:28","slug":"usagms-official-announcement-on-agency-downsizing-and-workforce-reductions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/03\/usagms-official-announcement-on-agency-downsizing-and-workforce-reductions\/","title":{"rendered":"USAGM\u2019s Official Announcement on Agency Downsizing and Workforce Reductions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Curtain Antennas at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station<\/p><\/div>\n

Following an earlier report from NPR covering<\/a> (and other sources) the U.S. Agency for Global Media\u2019s restructuring, this is the full official announcement from USAGM<\/a>. It outlines the agency\u2019s efforts to comply with an executive order aimed at reducing non-statutory functions, cutting costs, and downsizing operations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

USAGM, Senior Advisor Kari Lake cancels obscenely expensive 15-year-lease that burdened the taxpayers and enforces Trump\u2019s Executive Order to drastically downsize agency (USAGM)<\/h2>\n

Today, in compliance with President Trump\u2019s Executive Order titled,\u00a0Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy<\/em><\/a>, dated March 14, 2025, the US Agency for Global Media initiated measures to eliminate the non-statutory components and functions to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law. USAGM and the outlets it oversees will be reduced to their statutory functions and associated personnel will be reduced to the minimum presence and function required by law.<\/p>\n

This action will impact the agency\u2019s workforce at USAGM, Voice of America, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and all Grantees. Most USAGM staff affected by this action will be placed on paid-administrative leave beginning Saturday, March 15, 2025, and remain on leave until further notice.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/em>While at USAGM, I vow to fully implement President Trump\u2019s executive orders in his mission to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Today we continue the process of doing that by streamlining our operations to what is statutorily required by law<\/em>,\u201d said USAGM Senior Adviser, Kari Lake. \u201cThe US Agency for Global media will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency\u2019s purview and shed everything that is not statutorily required. I fully support the President\u2019s executive order. Waste, fraud, and abuse run rampant in this agency and American taxpayers shouldn\u2019t have to fund it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

A few of the most egregious findings:<\/p>\n