Reorganizing The Executive Branch: Everything You Need To Know

Today, March 13th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order by the name of ‘Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch’. The name of the order was released this morning in the Presidents schedule for the day and people became rightfully worried. Here’s a breakdown of what the order does, and doesn’t mean. The full text can be found here.

Section 1, Purpose: The order is being put in place to better the accountability of the executive branch by giving the Director of the Office of Management and Budget authority to eliminate unneeded agencies and their components. (Among the programs rumored to be skating on thin ice with the Trump administration are federally funded art programs. )

Section 2: Within the next 180 days, if it’s appropriate, each agency’s head should submit a proposed plan of reorganization to improve accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness, to the Director. Following that the Director will publish a notice in the “Federal Register” inviting the public to voice their suggestions for improvements related to reorganizing the executive branch. Within 180 days of the suggestion window being closed, the Director will submit a plan to the President detailing how the executive branch should be reorganized. This plan will include things like recommendations regarding agencies deemed as unnecessary.

When developing this plan, the Director will consider whether functions of agencies are redundant or better left to the States, what the costs of continuing to fund agencies are , and what the costs of shutting down an agencies are. The Director will consult with the head of each agency, and so long as it is consistent with the law, persons or entities outside of the Federal Government who have expertise in organizational structure.

Section 3, General Provisions: Nothing in the order should be construed to negatively affect the authority of agency heads and executive departments granted by law, or the functions of the Director in terms of budgeting, administrative, and legislative proposals.

“This order is not intended to, and does not create any right or benefit, substantive, or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, it’s officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.”