In this age of unbridled administrative overreach, it is a rare thing for the executive branch to be willing to slim itself down. Yet on June 21, President Trump released a report inviting Congress to help clean the administrative state’s house. Instead of bracing for the political backlash that often follows White House action, Congress needs to take advantage of this unique opportunity to reassert its authority over an unruly executive.
“The Federal Government is a maze of Federal agencies with overlapping services and missions.” This statement came not from President Trump, but from his predecessor — Barack Obama. According to the 2018 Federal Register Index, over 370 federal agencies make up America’s administrative labyrinth. From the Administration on Aging to the Workers Compensation Programs Office, each of these organized bodies holds jurisdiction over countless aspects of Americans’ lives. Many of these agencies are obscure, duplicative — or both.
[Read the rest of the op-ed over at The Hill.]