Trump Slashes Federal Bureaucracy Again: Agencies Brace for Major Shake-Up
President Donald J. Trump signed a new executive order on March 14, 2025, targeting multiple federal agencies for significant reductions in scope and staffing.
The move continues a broader mission to streamline government, cut waste, and boost accountability, building on prior actions from February 2025.
On March 14, 2025, President Donald J. Trump put pen to paper on a bold new executive order titled "Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy," sending shockwaves through Washington’s sprawling government apparatus. Issued just days ago, this directive doubles down on a promise to shrink the federal footprint, targeting a fresh batch of agencies deemed "unnecessary" by the administration. It’s the latest chapter in a saga that kicked off with a similar order on February 19, 2025, and signals that Trump’s war on bureaucratic bloat is far from over.
The March 14 order zeroes in on seven specific entities: the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the United States Agency for Global Media (which oversees Voice of America and Radio Free Europe), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency. These agencies are now mandated to eliminate all "non-statutory components and functions" to the fullest extent allowed by law, while slashing their statutory roles—and staff—to the bare minimum required.
This isn’t a standalone move. It builds on the February 19 executive order, "Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy," which laid out the administration’s intent to "dramatically reduce" government size while boosting accountability. That earlier action set the stage by tasking top aides with identifying more agencies and advisory committees for the chopping block within 30 days—a deadline that likely fueled this latest round of cuts. The White House frames it as a crusade against waste, inflation, and overreach, promising to "promote American freedom and innovation" by hacking away at what it calls an unaccountable bureaucracy.
The implications are massive. Agencies like the United States Agency for Global Media, which broadcasts American perspectives worldwide, could see their operations gutted, potentially reshaping how the U.S. projects its voice abroad. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a go-to for labor disputes, might struggle to function with a skeleton crew, leaving employers and unions in uncharted territory. Meanwhile, cultural and community-focused bodies like the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Minority Business Development Agency face an uncertain future, with budgets and staff on the line.
Critics are already sounding the alarm, warning that these cuts could kneecap essential services and weaken America’s global standing. Supporters, though, see it as a long-overdue reckoning for a government they argue has grown too fat and too detached from the people it serves. The order also hands the Office of Management and Budget a big stick: any funding requests from these agencies that don’t align with the downsizing mission can be rejected outright, assuming the law allows it.
This is just one piece of a broader puzzle. Since January 2025, Trump’s administration has rolled out a flurry of executive actions—establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), axing the Federal Executive Institute, and pausing foreign aid to scrutinize spending. The March 14 order ties into that momentum, leaning on DOGE’s early findings of "billions in waste, fraud, and abuse" to justify the cuts. It’s a high-stakes gamble to remake the federal government in Trump’s image, and with the clock ticking on his second term, the pace isn’t slowing.
As agencies scramble to comply, the real test lies ahead: Can this leaner government deliver on its promises, or will the slashing spree leave critical gaps? For now, the bureaucracy is holding its breath, waiting to see how deep the knife will cut.