Independent agencies proposed for elimination
US Interagency Council on Homelessness (1987)
Established in 1987 to coordinate 19 federal agencies’ response and create national partnership to end homelessness. With a $3.5 million budget and 20 staff (2016), implement 2010 strategic plan, “Opening Doors,” to provide affordable housing and sustainable employment for 550,000 without shelter each night in the US.
US Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board. (CSB) (1998)
CSB purpose was to be a completely independent investigator of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities.Functioning independent of EPA or OSHA and modeled after the NTSB, its most recent investigations were: Deepwater Horizon (2010), Chevron Refinery Fire (2012) and the West, Texas Fertilizer Fire (2013).
Corporation for National and Community Service (1993)
Formed in a merger with ACTION to encourage volunteering in communities to address poverty, environment, education and unmet human needs. With a budget of $1b (2013) and 485 staff (2006) engages five million Americans through AmeriCorp, Senior Corps, VISTA, US Freedom Corps. In 2011, the Learn and Serve America, which engaged one million students annually was eliminated.
Legal Services Corporation. (LSC) (1974)
LSC is a publicly funded, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to ensure equal justice by providing civil legal assistance to those who can’t afford it. With a budget of $375 million (2015), LSC is the largest single funder of civil legal aid in the country, distributing more than 90 percent of its total funding to 134 independent non-profit legal aid programs with at least one program in every state, plus Puerto Rico, DC, Guam, Micronesia and the Virgin Islands.
Institute of Museum and Library Services (1996)
It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the US. With a $227 million budget (2015) and staff of 65, its vision is a “democratic society where communities and individuals thrive with broad public access to knowledge, cultural heritage and lifelong learning.”
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (1978)
Working as NeighborWorks America, it provides grants to more than 240 community development organizations. In last five years, it generated more than $19.5 billion in reinvestment in these communities and assisted more than 1.7 million homeowners with Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) (1965)
The NEA offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It is the largest grant maker to arts organizations in the nation. Operating with a budget of $146 million (2015), the NEA has, between 1965 and 2008, made in access of 128,000 grants, totally more than $5 billion dollars.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) (1967)
CPB is a federally funded non-profit corporation to promote public broadcasting. More than 70% of its funding goes to 1,400 locally owned radio & TV stations. In 2014, its $445 million was distributed to local public TV stations ($222m), TV programming ($74m), local public radio stations ($69m), Public Broadcasting Service ($26m), radio programming grants ($22m), CPB administrative costs ($22m) and the Radio Program Fund ($7m).
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) (1965)
ARC is a federal-state partnership for self-sustaining economic development for West Virginia and portions of 12 states serving 420 counties with population of 25 million. ARC operates through 73 local development districts. Since its creation, ARC has helped cut the number of high poverty counties in Appalachia from 295 in 1960 to 91 today. Over the past five years, ARC helped retain or create 101,000 jobs and grants have leveraged almost $2.7 billion in private investments.
Denali Commission (1998)
Delivers federal infrastructure services in rural areas of Alaska, including health care facilities & surface & water transportation. “The President’s newly released FY2018 budget outline does not include funding for the four operating regional commissions.”
Delta Regional Authority (DRA) (2000)
DRA is a federal-state partnership to improve the quality of life in the 252 counties and portion of eight states in the Mississippi River Delta Region. At least 75% of DRA funds must be invested in economically distressed counties and parishes with half for transportation and basic infrastructure. DRA has leveraged investment of $2.9 billion in the area, including government and private funds and helped fund directly 934 projects in its eight state region.
Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) (2008)
The NBRC is a federal-state partnership for economic development in northern Maine, NH, Vt &NY. (www.nbrc.gov) In 2016, NBRC approved $7.4 million in grants for development projects, approved a new Five Year Strategic Plan (2017-2021) for its region of 1,100 towns and 36 counties with over 2 million people.
US Institute of Peace (USIP) (1984)
USIP provides analyzes of conflicts to promote int’l peace and resolution of conflicts without recourse to violence. With a $39m budget & 275 staff it is a national peace academy akin to the national military academies. USIP had operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq, housed numerous blue-ribbon commissions, authors reports and is active in 20 countries.
Woodrow Wilson Int’l Center for Scholars (1968)
The Wilson Center is a private-public think
tank with 1/3 funding from the federal government. There are approximately 30 areas of study such as Programs for Africa, Asia, Brazil, Canada, Cold War History, Kennan (Russia), Kissinger (China), Mexico, North Korea and publication of the Wilson Quarterly.
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) (1971)
OPIC is the federal government’s development finance arm providing loans and political risk insurance to help businesses gain footholds in emerging markets. Besides financing and risk insurance, OPIC also invests in projects such as a 70 megawatt photovoltaic power plant in Chile or a $1.5 billion investment for energy projects in Africa.
African Development Fund (USADF) (1980)
Formed in, USADF provides grants of up to $250,000 to benefit marginalized groups in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since its formation, it has provided financing to more than 1,500 small enterprises and community organizations. It has provided $17 million to 200 projects in 20 countries.
Inter-American Fund (IAF) (1972)
IAF funds development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 1972, IAF has awarded 4,920 grants worth $665 million. Its Fellowship program has 1,047 alumni who work in 35 countries and represent 117 US universities in 36 states.
AMERICA FIRST, Trump’s Budget Blueprint released March 16, 2017, states that “A budget that puts America first must make the safety of our people its number one priority – because without safety, there is no prosperity.”
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