President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to expand his control over “so-called independent agencies” in a bid to reign in regulatory departments — including the Federal Trade Commission — that are currently out of direct White House control.
The order will require all independent federal agencies and executive branches to now 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.
The federal agencies will now also have their performance standards and budget allotments reviewed by the White House, the order states.
“So-called independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have exercised enormous power over the American people without Presidential oversight,” a White House fact sheet detailing the move said.
“These agencies issue rules and regulations that cost billions of dollars and implicate some of the most controversial policy matters, and they do so without the review of the democratically elected president.”
“They also spend American tax dollars and set priorities without consulting the President, while setting their own performance standards,” the sheet continued.
“Now they will no longer impose rules on the American people without oversight or accountability.”
The directive, though, doesn’t apply fully to the powerful Federal Reserve and its monetary policy functions — such as raising and lowering interest rates.
Trump signed the order alongside a handful of others on Tuesday, including one meant to start fulfilling a campaign pledge to make in-vitro fertilization (IVF) free for would-be parents.
“PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT: President Trump just signed an Executive Order to Expand Access to IVF!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had tweeted.
“The Order directs policy recommendations to protect IVF access and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for such treatments.”
Trump had pledged on the campaign trail to make IVF free if he reclaimed power — as Democrats claimed that GOP opposition to abortion threatened access to the procedure.
