Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order that would require the Office of Management and Budget and other federal agencies to submit plans to reduce the size of the federal government’s workforce. This Executive Order ignores government appropriations and programs passed into law by Congress as well as federal court orders suspending the funding freeze at federal agencies. Ignoring these laws denies the will of the people through their elected representatives and threatens our constitutional system of government.
The following can be attributed to Chris Lewis, President and CEO of Public Knowledge:
“The continued actions of President Trump’s Executive Order, Elon Musk, and other administration officials to drastically end or change key government agencies and programs has turned into lawlessness. The American people have always counted on transparency, representation, and due process in the creation of laws by the Congress.
“In the tech, media, and telecommunications space, this includes the bipartisan programs at the Department of Commerce and Federal Communications Commission to deliver essential broadband communications networks to all Americans and manage the public airwaves in accordance with the public interest. It also includes the important work at the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to promote competition in technology and media markets while protecting consumers. Rather than respecting the constitutional separation of powers, these Executive Orders attempt to rewrite or repeal through administrative fiat statutes passed by Congress and signed into law by presidents of both political parties. Just as troubling, President Trump, Elon Musk, and their team have flouted court orders and suggested that it is they, not the judiciary, who get to determine whether their actions are lawful.
“This lawlessness must come to an end. Without transparency, representation, and proper, constitutional law making, Americans lose their rights to a government that represents and balances the views and needs of all of us.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.