Trump Signs Executive Order For White House Control of “So-Called Independent Agencies” Gone Rogue

President Trump signed an executive order that seeks to give White House control over government agencies that Congress established to operate independent of the White House.

–Federal Election Commission (FEC)
–Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
–Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
–Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The order seeks to rein in “so-called independent agencies” currently out of direct White House control.

“For the Federal Government to be truly accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected President,” the order says.

The order will require all independent federal agencies and executive branches to submit draft regulations so they can be reviewed by the White House, as well as liaise with the Trump administration on their priorities and strategic plans.

Although most of the federal government operates under presidential direction, as the economy grew more complex in the late 19th century, Congress began establishing agencies intended to apply nonpartisan and independent expertise to regulatory questions. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. These agencies have been highly politicized and weaponized by the left. They’ve gone rogue. They have, for example, refused to turn over documents and evidence for congressional oversight. Biden’s suspicious activity reports (SAR)  from the Treasury is just one such example.

“For the Federal Government to be truly accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected President,” the order says.

These agencies must now submit major regulations to the White House office of Office and Management of Budget for review. The order doesn’t apply to the Fed’s monetary policy, but calls for oversight of Fed regulations.

“…Congress began establishing agencies intended to apply nonpartisan and independent expertise to regulatory questions.” Just the opposite happened. Independent agencies report to no one and are unaccountable to the tax payers and voters.

Conservatives champion the move, known as the “unitary executive,” because the Constitution affords the president complete control of the government and that Congress cannot shield specialized agencies from his direction, whether on policy matters or ruling on individual disputes.

The Supreme Court has agreed with these arguments, and struck down several laws involving independent agencies, such as the fixed term for the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

In what can only be interpreted as a way to counter the endless stream of lawsuits seeking to strip the president of his authority, Trump issued an executive order yesterday reasserting presidential control of all agencies and boards. pic.twitter.com/UleKlCo5qC

— Julie Kelly (@julie_kelly2) February 19, 2025

Under the order, Vought would write “performance standards and management objectives” for the heads of independent agencies and provide updates to Trump about whether the agency heads are meeting those requirements. Vought also would review and adjust independent agencies’ budgets. Those adjustments “may prohibit independent regulatory agencies from expending appropriations on particular activities, functions, projects, or objects,” the order says.

In addition, the order requires that independent agencies hire a White House liaison, who would act as a conduit with Trump’s team.