Law be damned, Trump asserts unilateral control over executive branch, federal service (4 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

Following the Project 2025 playbook, in the last week, Trump and his newly installed loyalists have moved to (1) dismiss federal officials deemed unreliable to do his bidding (including 17 inspectors general) - many of which have protections from arbitrary dismissal, (2) freeze all science and public health activity until he can wrest full control, (3) freeze all federal assistance and grant activity deemed inconsistent with Trump's agenda, and (4) moved to terminate all federal employee telework and DEI programs.

The problem is much of this is controlled by federal law and not subject to sudden and complete change by the president through executive order. Most notably is the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 that simply codifies what is the constitutional allocation of resources where Congress appropriates money to the executive branch for a specific purpose, the executive branch must carry out that statutory purpose. This is indeed a constitutional crisis and even if Congress abdicates to Trump by acquiescing, the courts must still apply the law - or rule it unconstitutional.

And meanwhile the architect of much of this unlawful action is Russell Vought, Trump’s OMB nominee who the Senate appears ready to confirm.

120. The Impoundment Crisis of 2025

The Trump administration's Monday spending freeze is likely to provoke a crisis over the constitutionality of "impoundment"—one that the justices could well have to resolve *very* soon.

www.stevevladeck.com

 

[fooferdoggie]

I don’t think Musk probably knows what he is talking about when you actually read the article. He likes to say things just for effect.

ya I should have checked but I was too busy at work,

 

[CoolBrees]

After the midterms, the FOIAs on Musk's accounts - since he is a Gov. Official- are going to be wild.

They have two years until the chickens come home to roost,

 

[Optimus Prime]

After the midterms, the FOIAs on Musk's accounts - since he is a Gov. Official- are going to be wild.

They have two years until the chickens come home to roost,

FOIA request or more Democrats weaponizing the government?

 

[Optimus Prime]

A coalition of professors, diversity officers and restaurant worker advocates filed a federal lawsuit Monday in a bid to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders that target diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the U.S. government, the private sector and academia, alleging that he exceeded his authority in issuing them.


The 40-page federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland, is the first such challenge to the sweeping orders issued in the first days of the new administration. The edicts to end “illegal discrimination” and “wasteful government DEI programs” have already resulted in widespread purges of federal workers.


The plaintiffs include the American Association of University Professors, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and the mayor and city council of Baltimore.

They’re asking a judge to block two of the DEI-related orders Trump issued in the first two days of his second term and rule that they are unlawful.

The groups are being represented by Democracy Forward, a liberal nonprofit legal group that successfully persuaded a judge last week to temporarily block Trump’s order to pause trillions of dollars in federal spending. Asian Americans Advancing Justice — AAJC is also representing the plaintiffs…….

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/03/dei-lawsuit-trump-executive-order/