{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcbride-visits-lewes-public-library-condemns-trump-administrations-illegal", "Rep. McBride Visits Lewes Public Library, Condemns Trump Administration\u2019s Illegal Dismantling of Federal Library Funding", "2025-04-04", "2025", "2025-04", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Sarah McBride", "M001238", "mcbride.house.gov", "mcbride", "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Lewes, DE \u2013 Today, Delaware\u2019s Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) visited the Lewes Public Library to highlight the devastating impact of the Trump Administration\u2019s illegal move to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services(IMLS), the independent agency responsible for supporting libraries and museums across the country.\n\nThe visit comes just weeks after an executive order issued by President Trump on March 14th directed the so-called \u201creduction of the federal bureaucracy,\u201d resulting in IMLS placing its entire staff on administrative leave\u2014effectively shutting down the agency\u2019s operations and halting the distribution of nearly $300 million in congressionally appropriated funds. The state of Delaware receives over $1.3 million annually from the IMLS which is then distributed to the states' libraries.\n\n\u201cEvery day this administration rips funding away from our state, it\u2019s not abstract\u2014it\u2019s personal. Delawareans are losing access to free internet, books, and educational resources because President Trump decided to defy the law,\u201d said Rep. McBride.\u201cThese are funds passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump himself. The administration\u2019s actions are not just reckless\u2014they\u2019re illegal.\u201d\n\nDelaware is home to 33 public libraries, each one a critical hub where residents can renew passports, access the internet, apply for benefits, conduct research, and borrow books. IMLS grants enable these libraries to serve every Delawarean\u2014from rural families and working parents to veterans, people with disabilities, and caregivers.\n\nIn a letter led by Senator Chris Coons on April 1, 2025 to Acting Director Keith Sonderling, Rep. McBride joined Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) in reminding the Trump Administration that IMLS was created by statute and funded by Congress for the express purpose of meeting the \u201cessential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs\u201d of Americans. The law requires IMLS to operate both a Museum Services Office and a Library Services Office, which provide support across all 50 states.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration is illegally ripping funding from Delawareans every day\u2014and this time it\u2019s our libraries that are being targeted,\u201d McBride continued. \u201cFrom withholding money to our farmers, to denying nearly one million meals to Delawareans, to tanking our economy, the administration is doing everything except lowering costs for working families. I won\u2019t stop fighting until the resources our communities are owed are fully restored.\u201d\n\nDuring her visit, Rep. McBride met with librarians, staff, and community members who rely on library services in Sussex County. The Lewes Public Library is one of many local institutions supported by IMLS funding and serves as a lifeline for residents of all ages and backgrounds.\n\nPhotos from the Congresswoman\u2019s visit available for use and download here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:33:40Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcbride-visits-lewes-public-library-condemns-trump-administrations-illegal"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3441189657896757, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}