Law be damned, Trump asserts unilateral control over executive branch, federal service (12 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

 

[barbar]

Yeah it’s baffling.. and if i ever try to point this out to a Maga disciple they insinuate that im the same way with Obama/Biden/Kamala.. and im always like No, there is a huge difference- if ever a politician , ANY politician , demands me to be loyal to them, demands fealty from me- i RUN in the opposite direction.. im not loyal to ANY politician, which is why I always vote against candidates who demand it, 100% of the time.. How can anyone support someone who demands loyalty, over someone who says ‘How can i earn your vote ?’

I don't know But it's a good question. It's like they would just prefer to be ruled over by a mob boss/dictator instead of an actual democratic process. Maybe it's just because with someone like Trump his supporters don't really have to think about anything? He just dictates everything that will happen and that's all they really have to know. He creates his own reality, his own rules, his own facts and there's no real scrutiny or deep critical thinking required by his supporters.

 

[el caliente]

Does anyone know how I can get tickets to the transgender opera in Colombia, or to “DEI, The Musical” when I visit Ireland?

 

[Optimus Prime]

No more liberal paper straws
===============
Donald Trump has said that he will reverse Joe Biden’s plan to phase out plastic straws across the US government, complaining that paper alternatives don’t work and that a move is needed to go “BACK TO PLASTIC!”

Trump said in a Truth Social post that he will sign an executive order next week “ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!” The US president added in a separate post that Biden’s “mandate” for paper straws was now dead: “Enjoy your next drink without a straw that disgustingly dissolves in your mouth!!!”

Trump appears to be taking aim at an effort by the Biden administration plan, unveiled last year, to phase out all single-use plastics across the federal government by 2035. At the time, the White House said it was the first time it was “formally acknowledging the severity of the plastic pollution crisis and the scale of the response that will be required to effectively confront it”.


Biden’s attempt to reduce throwaway plastics, such as straws and sachets, from the US government, which is one of the world’s largest single consumers of goods, was aimed at tackling a growing tide of plastic pollution.

Other countries had already put bans in place – the European Union barred single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery and straws, and will further extend this to plastic bags, toiletries and other items by 2030……..

Trump to reverse Biden’s plan to phase out plastic straws across US government

President said he will sign an executive order next week despite global plastics crisis

www.theguardian.com

On Monday, Donald Trump took aim at a “ridiculous situation” that directly affects his daily life: paper straws.

He signed an executive order that rolls back a Biden administration policy to phase out federal purchases of single-use plastics, including straws, from food service operations, events and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.

“It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump told reporters at the White House as he signed the order. “These things don’t work,” he said, referring to paper straws. “I’ve had them many times, and on occasion, they break, they explode.”


But Trump, such a fan of drinking Diet Coke that he has installed a button in the Oval Office in order to summon staff to deliver the drink, has long railed against any restrictions upon plastic straws. When attempting to gain re-election in 2020, his campaign sold reusable straws on its website claiming that “liberal paper straws don’t work”.

While plastic straws have been blamed for polluting oceans and harming marine life, Trump said on Monday that he thinks “it’s OK” to continue using them. “I don’t think that plastic is going to affect the shark very much as they’re ... munching their way through the ocean,” he said at a White House announcement.…….

Trump signs order to bring back plastic straws claiming paper ones ‘explode’

Order rolls back Biden policy to phase out federal purchases of single-use plastic as Trump calls it a ‘ridiculous situation’

www.theguardian.com

 

[el caliente]

you got what you voted for.

Louisiana rice is one of the largest participants in international food aid programs, Musk's takeover of USAID threatens it

Millions in USAID money has gone to some of the largest rice mill operations in the state, such as Supreme Rice in Crowley and Farmers Rice Milling Company in Lake Charles.

www.nola.com

While you get what you pay for, you have to ask before buying, am I paying above market prices for this rice? Who am I buying this rice from? Are these rice farmers the only rice farmers participating in this USAID program, or is there open competition to this USAID program?

Not saying that this is right or wrong, but there are a few more questions that need to be answered before I feel comfortable settling on a verdict.

 

[bird]

While you get what you pay for, you have to ask before buying, am I paying above market prices for this rice? Who am I buying this rice from? Are these rice farmers the only rice farmers participating in this USAID program, or is there open competition to this USAID program?

Not saying that this is right or wrong, but there are a few more questions that need to be answered before I feel comfortable settling on a verdict.

The USAID kerfuffle is a Trumpism distraction. Nothing more, nothing less. It looks like it is working.

 

[el caliente]

The USAID kerfuffle is a Trumpism distraction. Nothing more, nothing less. It looks like it is working.

On the contrary, I believe it’s causing people to question what the purpose of government is.

 

[bird]

On the contrary, I believe it’s causing people to question what the purpose of government is.

On the contrary its purpose is chaos. The purpose of government is very simple. It is the method by which a society organizes itself as a nation-state. The underlying premise of DOGE is to get MAGA to react to programs that they hate while simultaneously damaging programs that benefit them. The twin imbecilities known as Trusk/Mump have no actual clue what they are doing. USAID being disrupted serves to reinforce the PRC’s Belt and Road initiative thus, in this instance, DOGE serves our competitors.

If Biden had done this and put George Soros in charge, every MAGA’s head would have exploded to the extent it would have been visible from the space station.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

While you get what you pay for, you have to ask before buying, am I paying above market prices for this rice? Who am I buying this rice from? Are these rice farmers the only rice farmers participating in this USAID program, or is there open competition to this USAID program?

Not saying that this is right or wrong, but there are a few more questions that need to be answered before I feel comfortable settling on a verdict.

Yes, USAID procurement process is very rigorous, and requires multiple bids - for most goods it has to be from American businesses. This is all public information and available upon request by Congress.

 

[bird]

Yes, USAID procurement process is very rigorous, and requires multiple bids - for most goods it has to be from American businesses. This is all public information and available upon request by Congress.

Now, c’mon, Uncle. We needed an imbecilic, ketamine addicted billionaire to rip it up. Doing research on something is so last century.

 

[superchuck500]

This shirt drives me crazy - since he has taken this dramatically more public profile, Elon Musk has shown to have a very poor understanding of American law. He routinely says things are criminal that are not, he makes false assertions about the First Amendment, and he doesn't understand administrative/constitutional law. It's either stupidity or propoganda.

He's now blasting judges who enjoin DOGE (not a government agency) from doing things that ostensibly violate law, calling them "activist judges". They're not the activists, he is! Coming into the federal government to "shake things up" and start eliminating offices, agencies, and joining Trump's effort to reorganize the federal government by executive order - law be damned - is ACTIVIST. The judges upholding the law are precisely the opposite of activist.

And no, sorry, a person winning 49% of the votes does not undo the Constitution. It does not make Trump dictator. These blowhards think they're so right - when they're so clearly wrong that it can only be stupidity or propoganda.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Now, c’mon, Uncle. We needed an imbecilic, ketamine addicted billionaire to rip it up. Doing research on something is so last century.

This is the thing that really frustrates me. Saying the US should spend less on foreign aid, or saying foreign aid should be limited to certain types (like food security and medicine over say civil society or cultural) - is fine, I'd argue against it, but it's a normal debate.

Claiming fraud or abuse, for programs that are vetted, procured openly and audited and tracked - is just evil. These are Americans performing their jobs within the confines of the law. These are valid programs that do real good for American influence and access all over the world. You can disagree with it, but that does not make it criminal or abuse. There are all sorts of programs we spend money on that I disagree with.. doesn't make it waste, fraud or abuse.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

This shirt drives me crazy - since he has taken this dramatically more public profile, Elon Musk has shown to have a very poor understanding of American law. He routinely says things are criminal that are not, he makes false assertions about the First Amendment, and he doesn't understand administrative/constitutional law. It's either stupidity or propoganda.

He's now blasting judges who enjoin DOGE (not a government agency) from doing things that ostensibly violate law, calling them "activist judges". They're not the activists, he is! Coming into the federal government to "shake things up" and start eliminating offices, agencies, and joining Trump's effort to reorganize the federal government by executive order - law be damned - is ACTIVIST. The judges upholding the law are precisely the opposite of activist.

And no, sorry, a person winning 49% of the votes does not undo the Constitution. It does not make Trump dictator. These blowhards think they're so right - when they're so clearly wrong that it can only be stupidity or propoganda.

If you really want to be driven bananas, consider that Musk signed a payment deal with Visa for X.com -- and he's gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Board.

 

[Optimus Prime]

If Biden had done this and put George Soros in charge, every MAGA’s head would have exploded to the extent it would have been visible from the space station.

And register a 7.8 on the Richter Scale

 

[superchuck500]

If you really want to be driven bananas, consider that Musk signed a payment deal with Visa for X.com -- and he's gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Board.

That move also ostensibly cancels the recent move from the Biden administration to make medical debt not impact credit reports and scores. The rule was held up by litigation but I think we can expect Trump/Musk/Vought will cancel it outright.

Just a massive "fork you!" to a significant Trump constituency.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

That move also ostensibly cancels the recent move from the Biden administration to make medical debt not impact credit reports and scores. The rule was held up by litigation but I think we can expect Trump/Musk/Vought will cancel it outright.

Just a massive "fork you!" to a significant Trump constituency.

And they won't care... not yet. As long as the people they hate suffer more, they're ok with it.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

This shirt drives me crazy - since he has taken this dramatically more public profile, Elon Musk has shown to have a very poor understanding of American law. He routinely says things are criminal that are not, he makes false assertions about the First Amendment, and he doesn't understand administrative/constitutional law. It's either stupidity or propoganda.

He's now blasting judges who enjoin DOGE (not a government agency) from doing things that ostensibly violate law, calling them "activist judges". They're not the activists, he is! Coming into the federal government to "shake things up" and start eliminating offices, agencies, and joining Trump's effort to reorganize the federal government by executive order - law be damned - is ACTIVIST. The judges upholding the law are precisely the opposite of activist.

And no, sorry, a person winning 49% of the votes does not undo the Constitution. It does not make Trump dictator. These blowhards think they're so right - when they're so clearly wrong that it can only be stupidity or propoganda.

Wait, is Musk’s moniker on TwitterX really Harry Bolz ?


Anyone reading this who voted for Musk/Trump - you are a friggin lunatic .

 

[RobF]

It's either stupidity or propaganda.

I agree with your post, apart from on this one point, because why not both?

 

[superchuck500]

Wait, is Musk’s moniker on TwitterX really Harry Bolz ?


Anyone reading this who voted for Musk/Trump - you are a friggin lunatic .

Yes, he changed it yesterday. He's a very serious person doing very important "unique and in-depth" work, at least according to another poster on here.

We should give our full trust to Harry Bolz, without any transparency.