President Donald Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, stirred controversy last month when he proposed cuts to beloved programs like Meals on Wheels and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Now Mulvaney is preparing a "guidance" letter that will significantly reduce the size of a number of federal government agencies.
Mulvaney is planning to submit his letter around the middle of the week, according to a report by Axios. The news site describes the letter as one that will instruct federal agencies "to create plans to make themselves significantly smaller and less costly." It's believed that they will achieve this by laying off government workers, gutting or shedding certain programs and even selling real estate. Some agencies may be eliminated or merged with other agencies.
The letter from Mulvaney will continue a policy established by President Trump in an executive order issued on March 13. That order called for "a plan to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies (as defined in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code), components of agencies, and agency programs."
That said, because the federal budget is so complicated, the process is not expected to begin right away. Axios reported that a final list of official cuts may not be produced until as late as next year.
Mulvaney has been under fire recently for his role in the Trump administration's failed attempt to pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. The House Freedom Caucus, which Mulvaney had formerly been been affiliated with, was instrumental in causing the bill's failure.
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