4 ms·

And people saying "Congress controls spending, not the President" - there are already reports of Musk trying to take control of the system that sends out money.

• lowercased 2y ago
  Congress appropriates money to be spend. Executive branch ... 'executes' things with appropriated money. Previous Trump administration tested a lot of norms, and current one is going to be pushing past every boundary of normal/accepted/traditional behaviour we've ever seen. The will of the people, expressed through Congress, is that Dept X gets $Y, but the incoming admin is claiming their own 'will of the people mandate' to completely upend how appropriated money is spent, and indeed, if it's spent at all. When you do not believe government agencies should exist, why would you want to enable them to spend money?
  • ks2048 2y ago
    Well, we'll see what the courts do - and maybe more importantly - what the people on the street do when/if it starts affecting their lives. I'm not a legal scholar, but I'm going to guess that saying "congress appropriates money, but the President can decide if they actually get it" is a pretty fringe idea.
    • lowercased 2y ago
      Most of the MAGA ideas are fringe. And they're pissed they've not been 'listened to' for years. That's part of the point. This is all revenge/retribution, both on Trump's part, but also for a minority class of people who've felt 'left out' and 'ridiculed'.
      • __loam 2y ago
        We ridiculed them because their ideas, like slapping blanket tariff on our closest allies, are really really stupid.
        • Viliam1234 2y ago
          Yeah, but that doesn't make them any less angry.
          • johnnyanmac 2y ago
            Shame, maybe they should have focused on subsidizing therapy. I don't even know what more to say. Paradox of tolerance so I'm no even going to pretend to empathize with ideas like"deport the illegals in chains " and ćmy body your choice".
      • vixen99 2y ago
        There are other sites where you can deliver this kind of homily to your heart's desire.
      • watwut 2y ago
        [dead]
    • __loam 2y ago
      It's called impoundment and it's patently illegal and unconstitutional. There's already been a SCOTUS case. The executive branch absolutely does not have the authority to decide how money is allocated.
      • BlarfMcFlarf 2y ago
        The executive branch having the power of selective enforcement and pardon generally seems like it might have an impact on the relevance of any supposed authority.
        • rectang 2y ago
          It's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission, and it's easier still to do neither.
• _DeadFred_ 2y ago
  I'm more afraid of Musk getting access to IRS information and using that information against people/intimidate/blackmail. Remember people are compelled to report all kinds of things on the understanding that 1. It won't be used against them and 2. Will be kept confidential. If Musk breaks that not only does he wield a powerful weapon against those he dislikes, but suddenly it could be argued 'the right to self incrimination' comes into play on taxes.
  • exe34 2y ago
    he'll tweet them in revenge.
  • sidewndr46 2y ago
    I wouldn't be afraid of it in any capacity. I'd plan for it to happen
• sidewndr46 2y ago
  Isn't this whole thing just a bunch of political grandstanding? Train v. City of New York isn't a constitutional case. So if Congress controls spending, it's a power they gave to themselves. Any other portion of government could likewise determine they control spending. So maybe it goes back to the SCOTUS because they agree to hear another case about it. Maybe they like the idea that the executive branch controls spending? Or maybe they don't after all. The tell the President to stop doing that. But the president does not. Does Congress pass another law reaffirming they control the power for spending? If the executive branch is in charge of running the government and they listen to the President & the President decide's they aren't spending any money, who exactly is going to change that? Would Congress fund another department to change this? Would it also just report to the President? From what I understand it's actually pretty common for the executive branch not to actually be able to spend appropriated money. The simplest case would be if you put out a contract and get no bids on it. There are other cases, like Congress agreeing to fund military submarines for Taiwan. But no one is going to build them internationally and we don't build diesel-electric combat submarines in the US as a matter of policy.
  • neaden 2y ago
    The legislature is the supreme power in the federal government with the power to impeach the other two branches. So no, it's not political grandstanding. Now if the congressional majority allows for the executive to take an illegal amount of power there's no one to stop that, in the same way that I'd the police stop enforcing laws against their own family members there's not really anyone to enforce those laws in their place.