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The firing of the Librarian of Congress is one of the most democracy-threatening actions by Donald Trump.
The Congressional Research Service, a department within the Library of Congress, provides unbiased, well-researched and documented information to congressional offices. “The Congressional Research Service (CRS) serves the Congress throughout the legislative process by providing comprehensive and reliable legislative research and analysis that are timely, objective, authoritative, and confidential, thereby contributing to an informed national legislature.”
Formerly labeled the Legislative Reference Service, this department has existed for over 100 years and has generated thousands of reports, statistics and even speeches for representatives and senators. In a sense, it compensated for the inequality of status within both houses, where some members have access to more staff for research and writing.
If a new librarian, chosen by Trump, fires researchers and replaces them with MAGA recruits, it will create a factory of disinformation and speeches, with the appearance of credibility, for every Republican legislator aligned with this administration.
With cherry-picked data, and ignoring well-documented sources to the contrary, fiction will become fact.
Betty Ussach is a resident of Dartmouth.