President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that marks an unprecedented move in expanding White House control over independent regulatory agencies. The order, which could face legal challenges, requires agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission to submit their proposed regulations to the White House for review before implementation.
The executive order, titled “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies,” also mandates that the head of the Office of Management and Budget, currently Russell Vought, oversee the agencies’ spending to ensure it aligns with the president’s priorities.
“These regulatory agencies currently exercise substantial executive authority without sufficient accountability to the President, and through him, to the American people,” the order states. “Moreover, these regulatory agencies have been permitted to promulgate significant regulations without review by the President.”
The executive action is unprecedented, as it challenges the independence these agencies have traditionally held from the White House. Congress set up these agencies to operate with a level of autonomy, but Trump’s order would bring them under closer scrutiny from his administration.
The move is expected to spark legal battles, as critics argue that it undermines the checks and balances established by Congress. It also fits into a broader pattern of actions by the president to consolidate power within the executive branch, further fueling concerns over the diminishing influence of independent oversight.
In his first few weeks in office, Trump has already removed multiple inspectors general who were tasked with holding agencies accountable, as well as replaced key agency heads appointed by the previous administration.
This order follows another significant move by the Trump administration, in which the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to approve the president’s firing of the head of a federal whistleblower protection office. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how far Trump can push his authority over independent agencies.
