I have read the Constitution a few times, especially Article II, Sec. 2 and amendments related to presidential power. I find nothing there remotely authorizing the extent of power Trump claims.
He fabricated from whole cloth, without Congressional approval, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He gave Elon Musk, a private citizen, multibillionaire and huge government contractor, sweeping powers to reshape the federal government under the guise of eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Musk was neither vetted nor confirmed by Congress.
DOGE’s mandate is to slash and burn the federal government freezing or eliminating funding for some agencies, gutting others with indiscriminate, mass firings and outright elimination of others. Some examples are killing USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and firing many FAA personnel. The Department of Education, the EPA, IRS, HHS and Social Security Administration are in Musk’s crosshairs. The apparent goal is to dismember government in order to concentrate all power in the Oval Office.
Constitutionally power to create or eliminate departments and programs lies solely with Congress as defined in Articles I, IV, and V. Power to determine the lawfulness of any such actions is vested in the Judiciary (Article III). Therefore, if I read the Constitution correctly, DOGE and its private citizen head is unconstitutional.
So far, Congress, Republicans specifically, has been disinclined to do its sworn duty to be a counterweight to the power of the executive. Congress is sitting on its hands despite facing this threat to the Constitution, which every member has taken an oath to “. . . support and defend . . .”. Furthermore, they have ratified the appointment of unqualified sycophants to critical cabinet posts, jeopardizing national security and public wellbeing in the process.
The judiciary, perhaps the last line of defense against Trump’s authoritarianism, has been a bit more willing to push back handing Trump several loses in court. He should be used to that.
That there is plenty of waste, fraud and abuse in government is undeniable, though probably less fraud than Trump claims. Any large, bureaucratic organization will be saddled with a WF&A account.
Pursuing governmental efficiency is a necessary goal. Ham-handed slashing and burning is not the way to do it. Right-sizing government requires effective managerial oversight responsibility for which rests with Congress. Congress likes to create programs but is less willing to effectively monitor its creatures’ activities. Effective oversight risks alienating donors who benefit from Congress’ creations.
The President has taken advantage of a quiescent Congress to usurp power given it by the Constitution. The political duopoly bears much of the blame for that. By facilitating Trump’s power grab, eventually Congress will become irrelevant. Goodbye lobbyists who will take with them the financial flowing fondue fountain. Congress’ power and money both gone, along with our democracy.
But the truth is we citizens also share blame. For many years we have chosen to be politically inattentive. We have allowed Congress to build its duopoly complete with lucrative, secure, quiet lives. We’ve let them create voting processes and legislating rules that block effective competition. In the process, Congress has allowed presidents to assume more and more power. Now we have a president intent on using it for his own purposes.
Ironically, we may have lost our democracy at the voting booth.
Patrick Taylor lives in Ridgeland.
