Law be damned, Trump asserts unilateral control over executive branch, federal service (1 Viewer)

[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

 

[superchuck500]

 

[fooferdoggie]

He who only saves Christian nationalists goes to hell with them.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Where did he hear that knock off Confucious quote?

 

[Optimus Prime]

I’d say this will lead to unintended consequences but I think those consequences will be very much intended
=======


NEW YORK (AP) — To President Donald Trump, it’s a hotbed of “waste, fraud and abuse” whose only purpose is to “destroy people” and whose staff amounts to a “vicious group.”

To Jonathon Booth, it’s simply the agency that helped him get $17 back.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in the crosshairs of a White House that has halted its work, closed its headquarters and fired scores of its workers. But to many who have turned to the agency, it has been an effective problem-solver that fought abusive businesses when no one else would.

“This is the core of consumer protection – someone willing to help with stuff that’s small enough that no one would sue over,” says Booth, a 34-year-old professor from Boulder, Colorado, who filed a complaint with CFPB in October when his credit card company wouldn’t remove an errant late fee. “If there’s no one watching, if the risk of getting caught goes down, more companies will bend the law to make money.”

A few weeks after Booth turned to CFPB, his case was closed and his account credited.

Even as Trump and his cost-cutting czar, the billionaire Elon Musk, have demonized and neutered the agency, its defenders tell success stories of its work.

Created under the 2010 Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and beginning its work in 2011, CFPB says it has fielded more than 7.7 million complaints and returned nearly $20 billion to consumers in just over 13 years of existence……..

Consumer watchdog agency called ‘vicious’ by Trump seen as a ‘hero’ to many it aided

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in the crosshairs of a White House that has halted its work, closed its headquarters and fired dozens of its workers.

apnews.com

 

[RobF]

Where did he hear that knock off Confucious quote?

I'd call it more of a (n other) confession than a quote. He might as well just say, "I'M VIOLATING LAWS!"

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Laws be damned, INDEED.

 

[DaveXA]

So laws don't matter, yeah? This definitely sounds like something a dictator would say.

 

[MT15]

I'd call it more of a (n other) confession than a quote. He might as well just say, "I'M VIOLATING LAWS!"

The Supreme Court told him it was just fine.

 

[wardorican]

Ready, fire, aim…

Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say | CNN

Some of the fired probationary employees included on-the-ground staff at facilities where nuclear weapons are built.

www.cnn.com

That article just highlights how idiotic these people are. The DOE didn't know how this impacted things. They don't understand their own departments. They rescinded the firings on Friday.

This is Trump 2.0. Break everything, change course when enough folks yell at him, or the stock market crashes, or something else monumentally stupid happens. If only there was a way to think ahead and predict possible outcomes.

 

[wardorican]

That's evil villain type crap right there.

 

[DJ1BigTymer]

Ready, fire, aim…

Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say | CNN

Some of the fired probationary employees included on-the-ground staff at facilities where nuclear weapons are built.

www.cnn.com

That article just highlights how idiotic these people are. The DOE didn't know how this impacted things. They don't understand their own departments. They rescinded the firings on Friday.

This is Trump 2.0. Break everything, change course when enough folks yell at him, or the stock market crashes, or something else monumentally stupid happens. If only there was a way to think ahead and predict possible outcomes.

This is what happens when you have idiots running the country. They're just breaking sheet without regard for the people doing the real work. It's forking infuriating.

Indeed.

WASHINGTON — National Nuclear Security Administration officials on Friday attempted to notify some employees who had been let go the day before that they are now due to be reinstated — but they struggled to find them because they didn't have their new contact information.

In an email sent to employees at NNSA and obtained by NBC News, officials wrote, “The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel.”


The individuals the letter refers to had been fired on Thursday and lost access to their federal government email accounts. NNSA, which is within the Department of Energy and oversees the nation's nuclear stockpile, cannot reach these employees directly and is now asking recipients of the email, “Please work with your supervisors to send this information (once you get it) to people’s personal contact emails.”

The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment.

Trump & Co. are exceeding the incompetence they showed in their previous attempt to govern and it hasn't been a full month into this term.

Trump administration wants to un-fire nuclear safety workers but can’t figure out how to reach them

The individuals, who work in an agency that oversees the nation's nuclear stockpile, had been fired on Thursday and lost access to their federal government email accounts.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[MT15]

Well, if you recall in his first term he had some legitimate people around him to steer him away from the crazy that swirls around in his noggin. There’s nobody like that this time, which is what everyone tried to warn people about.

 

[MT15]

Fun fact about this quote:

 

[MT15]

 

[MT15]

Reading a serious discussion online about the Tweet above. First: not a real Napoleon quote, although it is often attributed to him. Second: speculation that Trump didn’t write that Tweet. It doesn’t sound like him, it rather sounds like Musk. It was on Twitter, and not Truth Social, which sort of backs up the thought that Musk might be posting from Trump’s account on Twitter.

Just thought it was an interesting discussion.

 

[MT15]

 

[brandon]

We’re in the endgame now.

 

[efil4]

There are a host of subcontractors, individuals, companies and municipalities that have met same fate. Promised payment. Never paid.

Don't know how this comes as surprise to anyone at this point.