Are Trump's Executive Orders All Bark With No Bite? Many Weren't Properly Vetted
As President Donald Trump works this week to sign a number of executive actions reversing much of the progress made by the Obama administration, federal lawmakers (both Democrats and Republicans) revealed that the administration made little effort to consult with them.
In recent news, Trump signed an order advancing the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines. However, the White House didn’t ask State Department experts to review Trump’s plan for the $15 billion project, reported Politico.
Even Trump-appointed Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo were “blindsided” by an order to reconsider torturous techniques in interrogations. These techniques were formally banned and proved to be inhumane and unsuccessful.
Additionally, legal experts and lawmakers worry that some of his executive actions will go against laws that are already in place, making them unenforceable.
People closest to Trump believe that his off-the-cuff approach is all theatrics to appear that he is working to establish the end of the Obama era.
Some say that Trump wanted daily signing events to appeal to supporters and show that he would follow through with the promises made during his campaign.
“He was determined to show people that he’s getting to work from Day One,” one person familiar with his strategy told Politico.
Furthermore, many warn that the signing of executive orders without properly vetting them with the appropriate agencies could cause greater problems down the line.
“If you don’t run these kinds of initiatives through the affected agencies, you’re going to get something wrong,” said David Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University. “A government by edict is not a sustainable idea.”
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who now works as a lobbyist, said he doesn’t believe in aggressive executive action taken by any political party.
“You don't want to have an imperial president," Lott said. “It’s just not the best way to govern. These things need to be figured out by Congress. We have allowed the presidency to become too powerful.”
