Trump’s Team Sets Stage for White House Power Grab

“In naming a set of unconventional nominees to run federal departments, Donald Trump this week also took steps to push for a broader goal: realigning the balance of power among Washington’s major institutions so that more authority flows from the White House,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Trump has threatened to take steps that would undermine the Senate’s confirmation powers and Congress’s role in budgeting—the most essential powers of the two chambers. He has insisted that senators allow him to place some nominees directly in their jobs, bypassing the Senate’s public hearings and confirmation process. He has said he would move to impound—or decline to spend—money appropriated by Congress for programs he dislikes, a step likely requiring him to overturn current law in court.”

“Trump’s transition team is considering a plan to bypass the Pentagon’s regular promotion system, with a draft executive order that would create a panel to evaluate three- and four-star officers for potential removal.”

“Federal Reserve leaders have braced for a potential effort to fire Chairman Jerome Powell, while officials elsewhere are waiting to see whether Trump follows through on a campaign promise to rein in other independent agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission, and subject them to greater presidential authority.”