Latest news with #federalbureaucracy
Washington Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Supreme Court allows Trump to remove consumer product safety regulators
The Supreme Court Wednesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump to remove the Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, allowing the administration to continue to seize control of the federal bureaucracy while litigation continues in the lower courts. The Trump administration asked the justices to allow the president to remove three of the five members of the commission that regulates the safety of everyday consumer products, such as strollers and bicycles, and coordinates product safety recalls.
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
JD Vance Knows Who Belongs
More than most recent vice presidents, JD Vance seems to be locked out of the room where it happens. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, is by most accounts the president's point person on mass deportation and immigration enforcement. Russell Vought, head of the Office of Management and Budget, leads the effort to terrorize federal employees, bring the federal bureaucracy to heel and seize the power of the purse from Congress. The Department of Government Efficiency, formerly run by Elon Musk, is busy dismantling the nation's research capacity and working to centralize government data on Americans. Vance might have been on the ballot in November, but you'd be hard-pressed to find him anywhere in this triumvirate. He holds no particular portfolio of issues or items to pursue and he appears to have no special relationship with the president. On occasion, you'll see Vance engaged in the sorts of civic activities that vice presidents are often made to perform — those events where it is important that someone from the high end of the administration makes an appearance, but not so important that you would send the president or the secretary of state. Even then, however, Vance seems to do less of this than past vice presidents. This is perhaps because, unlike his predecessors, President Trump is less interested in governing than he is in playing the role of head of state. As Trump himself will tell you, he tends not to know what his deputies are doing with their time. He professes to be ignorant of the actions of his government. Asked, for example, if his administration was planning to send migrants to Libya, he replied, 'I don't know. You'll have to ask the Department of Homeland Security.' He saves his attention and enthusiasm for the pomp and circumstance of the presidency. He's eager to host other heads of state, to attend celebrations and to speak to crowds of supporters. He also spends a lot of his time at his clubs and resorts, golfing, gossiping and glad-handing with passers-by and hangers-on. With Trump consumed with the responsibilities of a typical vice president and other members of the administration doing the work of running the country, JD Vance is left largely on the sidelines, away from the action. Why does the vice president of the United States spend so much time writing posts on social media, preening for his allies or tussling with his ideological opponents? Well, why does anyone? In fairness to the vice president, his online presence speaks to the main role he does seem to have in the White House: something akin to the president's official fanboy. And in addition to acting as cheer captain for his boss, Vance also works to give the administration a veneer of intellectualism to cover its cruelty, corruption and incompetence — a spokesman for the president's brand of national populism. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Billy Long will be sworn in as IRS commissioner, taking over an agency he once sought to close
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Missouri congressman Billy Long will be ceremonially sworn in as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service on Friday, taking over a beleaguered agency that he once sought to abolish and that has since been beset with steep staffing cuts and leadership turnover. Long won confirmation in a 53-44 Senate vote last month despite concerns from Democrats about his connection to a tax credit scheme and campaign contributions he received after then President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for the top IRS job in December. Long's commissionership comes after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year's tax filing season. Tens of thousands of workers have voluntarily retired or been laid off as part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy through the Department of Government Efficiency. 'In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here,' Long wrote in a message to IRS employees. 'I'm big on culture, and I'm anxious to develop one that makes your lives and the taxpayers' lives better.' While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, the Republican sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS. A former auctioneer and real estate broker, Long has no background in tax administration. He also hosted a radio talk show from 1999 to 2006 'on which the IRS was always a hot topic,' according to his biography on the agency's website. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News in February that Trump's 'goal is to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and let all the outsiders pay,' referring to tariffs imposed on other countries. The president has also floated the idea of getting rid of the federal income tax and using tariffs to make up the difference. The nearly 900-page tax and spending bill Trump signed earlier this month contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. They include new tax deductions on tips, overtime and auto loans, as well as scores of business-related cuts. Long has toed the Trump party line for years. In 2022, during an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, he released a 30-second ad that falsely claimed the 2020 election was 'rigged' and 'stolen' from Trump — claims the president frequently touts himself. During his Senate bid, Long worked with a firm that distributed fraudulent, pandemic-era employee retention tax credits. He appeared before the Senate Finance Committee in May and denied any wrongdoing related to his involvement in the scheme. Democrats have called for a criminal investigation into Long's connections to other alleged tax loopholes. They have also written to Long and his associated firms detailing concerns with what they call unusually timed contributions made to Long's defunct 2022 Senate campaign committee shortly after Trump nominated him. Long is not the only Trump appointee to support dismantling an agency he was assigned to manage. Linda McMahon, the current education secretary, has repeatedly said she is trying to put herself out of a job by closing the federal department and transferring its work to the states. FBI Director Kash Patel has proposed radical overhauls to the 117-year-old agency. And Rick Perry, Trump's energy secretary during his first term, called for abolishing the Energy Department during his bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. Melissa Goldin, The Associated Press
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Billy Long will be sworn in as IRS commissioner, taking over an agency he once sought to close
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Missouri congressman Billy Long will be ceremonially sworn in as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service on Friday, taking over a beleaguered agency that he once sought to abolish and that has since been beset with steep staffing cuts and leadership turnover. Long won confirmation in a 53-44 Senate vote last month despite concerns from Democrats about his connection to a tax credit scheme and campaign contributions he received after then President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for the top IRS job in December. Long's commissionership comes after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year's tax filing season. Tens of thousands of workers have voluntarily retired or been laid off as part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy through the Department of Government Efficiency. 'In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here,' Long wrote in a message to IRS employees. 'I'm big on culture, and I'm anxious to develop one that makes your lives and the taxpayers' lives better.' While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, the Republican sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS. A former auctioneer and real estate broker, Long has no background in tax administration. He also hosted a radio talk show from 1999 to 2006 'on which the IRS was always a hot topic,' according to his biography on the agency's website. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News in February that Trump's 'goal is to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and let all the outsiders pay,' referring to tariffs imposed on other countries. The president has also floated the idea of getting rid of the federal income tax and using tariffs to make up the difference. The nearly 900-page tax and spending bill Trump signed earlier this month contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. They include new tax deductions on tips, overtime and auto loans, as well as scores of business-related cuts. Long has toed the Trump party line for years. In 2022, during an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, he released a 30-second ad that falsely claimed the 2020 election was 'rigged' and 'stolen' from Trump — claims the president frequently touts himself. During his Senate bid, Long worked with a firm that distributed fraudulent, pandemic-era employee retention tax credits. He appeared before the Senate Finance Committee in May and denied any wrongdoing related to his involvement in the scheme. Democrats have called for a criminal investigation into Long's connections to other alleged tax loopholes. They have also written to Long and his associated firms detailing concerns with what they call unusually timed contributions made to Long's defunct 2022 Senate campaign committee shortly after Trump nominated him. Long is not the only Trump appointee to support dismantling an agency he was assigned to manage. Linda McMahon, the current education secretary, has repeatedly said she is trying to put herself out of a job by closing the federal department and transferring its work to the states. FBI Director Kash Patel has proposed radical overhauls to the 117-year-old agency. And Rick Perry, Trump's energy secretary during his first term, called for abolishing the Energy Department during his bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Billy Long will be sworn in as IRS commissioner, taking over an agency he once sought to close
WASHINGTON — Former Missouri congressman Billy Long will be ceremonially sworn in as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service on Friday, taking over a beleaguered agency that he once sought to abolish and that has since been beset with steep staffing cuts and leadership turnover. Long won confirmation in a 53-44 Senate vote last month despite concerns from Democrats about his connection to a tax credit scheme and campaign contributions he received after then President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for the top IRS job in December. Long's commissionership comes after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year's tax filing season. Tens of thousands of workers have voluntarily retired or been laid off as part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy through the Department of Government Efficiency. 'In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here,' Long wrote in a message to IRS employees. 'I'm big on culture, and I'm anxious to develop one that makes your lives and the taxpayers' lives better.' While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, the Republican sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS. A former auctioneer and real estate broker, Long has no background in tax administration. He also hosted a radio talk show from 1999 to 2006 'on which the IRS was always a hot topic,' according to his biography on the agency's website. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News in February that Trump's 'goal is to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and let all the outsiders pay,' referring to tariffs imposed on other countries. The president has also floated the idea of getting rid of the federal income tax and using tariffs to make up the difference. The nearly 900-page tax and spending bill Trump signed earlier this month contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. They include new tax deductions on tips, overtime and auto loans, as well as scores of business-related cuts. Long has toed the Trump party line for years. In 2022, during an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, he released a 30-second ad that falsely claimed the 2020 election was 'rigged' and 'stolen' from Trump — claims the president frequently touts himself. During his Senate bid, Long worked with a firm that distributed fraudulent, pandemic-era employee retention tax credits. He appeared before the Senate Finance Committee in May and denied any wrongdoing related to his involvement in the scheme. Democrats have called for a criminal investigation into Long's connections to other alleged tax loopholes. They have also written to Long and his associated firms detailing concerns with what they call unusually timed contributions made to Long's defunct 2022 Senate campaign committee shortly after Trump nominated him. Long is not the only Trump appointee to support dismantling an agency he was assigned to manage. Linda McMahon, the current education secretary, has repeatedly said she is trying to put herself out of a job by closing the federal department and transferring its work to the states. FBI Director Kash Patel has proposed radical overhauls to the 117-year-old agency. And Rick Perry, Trump's energy secretary during his first term, called for abolishing the Energy Department during his bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
