Login is a daily newsletter that helps you understand the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.
Welcome to log out. Today, I focus on the Trump administration’s efforts to exert control over independent regulators, which is the impact on the balance of government power and your daily life.
What’s the latest? Donald Trump issued an executive order Tuesday that would put a series of independent regulators (and their investigation and rulemaking procedures) directly under the White House control.
How does this change the way it works now? Dozens of independent agencies of the federal government have the right to interpret federal laws and conduct investigations into so-called rules. The president appoints leaders of the agency’s board of directors. But many commissioners have longer terms than individual governments, and the president cannot fire them just because he doesn’t like their decision.
Under Trump’s new rules, this autonomy will disappear.
What are these independent institutions? There are dozens of them, including:
Are they all included? The order specifically exempts the Fed from setting interest rates, that’s all!
What’s next? Executive orders are almost certain to face legal challenges, and issues regarding executive power coverage may be kicked all the way to the Supreme Court. The independence of these institutions is protected by law, but Trump’s team believes that these laws are unconstitutional.
What is the overall situation? Trump once again tries to expand the president’s power. Congress passed laws that allowed these institutions to measure independence and put lawmakers in charge of oversight. Trump now claims his power as himself, believing that their independence makes them unable to account.
But how does it affect me? These agencies regulate many aspects of daily life – from predatory business practices to nuclear reactor collapse.
So, it’s time to log in…
How are you these days? If the answer is “not good”, I will listen to you Vox’s Explain to me podcast. This week, they interviewed a sleep psychologist for answers to questions like: Why am I a night owl? How to take a nap responsibly? How should I deal with the chronic struggle of falling asleep? I hope you like it. I’ll see you tomorrow.
