"The president says the move will increase “supervision” over independent agencies. His critics say it’s alarming."
"President Donald Trump is expanding White House control over independent agencies in a move his critics view as an alarming power grab.
The president signed an executive order Tuesday that aims to rein in independent regulatory agencies that Trump said “currently exercise substantial executive authority without sufficient accountability to the President.”
The move appears directed at cracking down on several agencies that were designed to have more independence than Cabinet-level departments. The White House explicitly named the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission in a fact sheet asserting that those agencies haven’t been subject to enough presidential oversight.
But the Trump order will reach so-called independent agencies across the government and could broadly reset the power structure in the executive branch, consolidating more authority inside the White House and inside the Justice Department with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The order directs all executive departments and agencies — including “so-called independent agencies” — to submit proposed and final regulations to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs before they are published."
Niina H. Farah and Robin Bravender report for E&E News February 19, 2025.
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