Presidential Power, Rule of Law, and Economic Stability
Key Questions
What did the Slaughter ruling change regarding independent agencies?
The landmark SCOTUS decision strengthened presidential authority over agencies, prompting warnings from former FERC officials about quorum loss and policy instability. The CLARITY Act has been proposed as a legislative fix via quorum requirements.
How is the administration handling foreign aid and congressional appropriations?
The White House is slow-walking funds and using OMB reclassifications, creating a direct challenge to Congress's power of the purse. A DOGE lawyer is running aid programs without Senate confirmation.
What actions has Trump taken on the SAVE Act and elections?
Trump is intensifying pressure for the SAVE Act before midterms, though Senate filibuster rules and GOP divisions narrow its path. Local election officials have called the bill unworkable.
What economic and regulatory signals emerged from the Fed and agencies?
Fed Chair Warsh signaled data-dependent guidance with rates held at 3.5-3.75 percent. Congress prohibited a Fed CBDC while OPM stripped civil service protections and DOJ OLC curtailed disparate impact enforcement.
What SCOTUS decisions affected border and agency powers?
The Court issued a 5-4 Texas border wire order, an 8-1 agency penalty ruling, and blocked an IEPA tariff. Reform debates over the Court's role have intensified.
How has gridlock affected major legislation?
Congress left town with housing, defense, and farm bills unfinished. A failed SAVE Act rule vote and slim House majority have created procedural implosion and stalled permitting reform.
What bipartisan legislation has still advanced?
A new Social Security solvency bill and the ROAD to Housing Act became law without Trump's signature. The Senate passed a housing affordability bill 85-5 despite veto threats.
What concerns have been raised about judicial activism and agency independence?
Op-eds and former officials criticize the Slaughter decision as judicial activism that chills qualified candidates. A legislative workaround is gaining traction to slow the damage to independent agencies.
Slaughter expands presidential control over independent agencies, prompting separation-of-powers disputes and the proposed CLARITY Act’s quorum requirements. The administration faces judicial checks on birthright citizenship and PSLF, while fiscal stress remains acute with a roughly $1.4 trillion deficit, $723 billion in interest costs, and debt nearing $40 trillion.