The Trump administration is actively dismantling government agencies in attempts to curb wasteful government spending, with the effects spanning far and wide.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been working to make changes in the government, employing large-scale layoffs and reductions to funding among federal agencies. Some departments of note whose funding has been drastically reduced include the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“I think the cuts are being made in part because of a concern about our persistent budget deficits,” said Christopher Duke, Tualatin High School government and economics teacher. “We are a country that spends more than we have. That leads to increasing national debt. The idea of identifying parts of the government that are wasteful has merit and makes sense to a lot of people. I think people pushing back come from a place of feeling that the cuts have been overly broad and overly deep. I think also if you’re serious about the federal deficit, you can’t actually balance the budget by cutting these departments.”
The ramifications of cuts made by DOGE are incredibly far-reaching, like those made to the U.S. Agency for International Development. With that in mind, the impacts can also be felt at TuHS. Senior Bergen Lien, a member of Tualatin’s LEAP club, expressed how disheartened he is by cuts to funding of the club’s parent coalition.
“The decision by the current administration and DOGE to suspend funding for drug prevention coalitions is causing widespread alarm,” said Lien. “Although a federal judge has temporarily halted the funding freeze, coalitions remain in a state of uncertainty; at any moment, they could be told that they are no longer funded. For coalitions like ours, which rely on 95 percent federal funding, the stakes are extraordinarily high.”
The work taken on by these dedicated volunteers is crucial to the health and safety of the community. According to Lien, “In Tualatin, the average age for first-time alcohol use is just 14.”
Amidst the chaos, Lien and the coalition will keep striving for prevention.
“Despite the uncertainty surrounding our funding, the coalition is committed to continuing its work,” he said. “Thanks to some financial reserves, we believe we can sustain operations with our current staff for the next eight to ten months, though we are cutting back on all non-essential expenses to stretch those resources as far as possible.”
LEAP is also working toward a long term sustainability plan. Lien describes the situation as a “wake-up call” for the coalition and club.
“In addition, we are expanding our programming. We recently launched Safety Town as part of our sustainability strategy, and now we are laying the groundwork for an Oregon Youth Prevention Summit,” he said. “Oregon still undervalues the importance of primary prevention, and changing that perception is critical. Our youth voice is one of our strongest assets, and by empowering them through initiatives like the summit, we can continue to push for meaningful change, even in the face of funding challenges.”
