Trump Signs New EO Regarding Independent Agencies

Alright, folks, buckle up because we’ve got a big one here. President Trump just signed an executive order that’s shaking up Washington in a way we haven’t seen in decades. This one is called Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies – The White House, and let me tell you, it’s got the D.C. establishment absolutely buzzing.

Now, what does this order do? In short, it puts all those so-called “independent” agencies—the ones that have been doing their own thing since the Roosevelt era—under direct White House oversight. We’re talking about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and a whole slew of others.

These agencies have been acting like they’re their own little governments, writing rules and regulations that affect millions of Americans without running them past the one person elected to run the executive branch—the President. Well, that changes today.

A White House official, speaking to The Washington Post on background, called these groups “rogue agencies.” And honestly, they’ve got a point. Think about it: these agencies are spending tax dollars, crafting regulations that cost billions, and making major policy decisions, all without any real oversight from the President or the people who voted him in. That’s a pretty sweet deal—until now.

Let’s break it down. First off, and this is important: the order does not apply to the Federal Reserve when it comes to monetary policy. Why? Because even Trump’s team knows that trying to pull the Fed under direct White House control would be an absolute hornet’s nest. That’s a fight for another day. However, when it comes to supervising and regulating financial institutions, the Fed is still on the hook.

Next, independent agencies are no longer really independent. Every major rule and regulation they put out will have to be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before it ever sees the light of day in the Federal Register. That’s a big deal because it means no more unchecked rule-making from bureaucrats who have been running on autopilot for decades.

And get this: every agency now has to have a White House Liaison. That means there will be a direct line from the administration into these agencies, making sure they stay on track. That’s not just oversight—that’s real accountability.

But the real bombshell? The White House and the Attorney General will now have the final say on interpreting the law within the executive branch. No more agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deciding for themselves what Congress really meant when they wrote a law.

No more legal gymnastics to expand their power. From now on, if an agency wants to push a new regulation, it better line up with what the President and the Attorney General say the law actually allows.