Trump dismantles Election Assistance Commission ahead of midterms
Key Questions
What action did Trump take regarding the Election Assistance Commission?
Trump removed all EAC commissioners using expanded removal powers, emptying the agency and halting its functions for election equipment certification and grant distribution.
How does the Supreme Court's Slaughter decision affect this situation?
The ruling expands presidential removal power while also applying the major questions doctrine to favor deregulation, limiting future Democratic presidents from using similar authority for regulatory actions.
What are the main concerns raised by dismantling the EAC ahead of midterms?
It raises worries about election integrity due to paralyzed certification processes and potential executive overreach in controlling election-related agencies.
Which articles discuss Trump's efforts to influence midterms through the EAC?
Articles such as 'Trump WILL Try to Steal the Midterms. Here's How' and analyses of Supreme Court decisions on presidential power cover these developments.
What broader impact does this have on independent agencies?
It exemplifies how recent Supreme Court rulings have weakened independent agencies, creating structural barriers to regulatory actions by future administrations.
Trump removed all EAC commissioners using expanded removal power, leaving the agency empty. This paralyzes election equipment certification and grant distribution. A new analysis of the Supreme Court's Slaughter decision reveals an asymmetry: the ruling not only expands presidential removal power but also, via the major questions doctrine, structurally favors deregulation, limiting future Democratic presidents' ability to use the same power for regulatory action. This deepens concerns about election integrity and executive overreach.