4 ms·

Yeah it’s hard to reconcile a permanent layer of unelected officials, that can’t be sacked by either the President or Congress, with many parts of the constitut

Yeah it’s hard to reconcile a permanent layer of unelected officials, that can’t be sacked by either the President or Congress, with many parts of the constitution. And I’ve never seen a clear explanation of how that change was constitutionally justifiable.

daveguy 2y ago
Congress has the power to impeach any federal official.
- MichaelZuo 2y ago
  Via what means…? Most don’t even have sufficient clearances to know the names of random middle managers in many many offices in the CIA/NSA, let alone do anything to them.
Spooky23 2y ago
They can be fired, there’s a variety of processes to do so. The obsession with firing people is this weird narrative the right wingers are always obsessed with. The cognitive dissonance between these high and mighty principles and what our principled republican colleagues have and will do is beyond ridiculous. Functional government is the goal of any mature stakeholder. We have 100+ years of spoils system that aptly demonstrates why that methodology doesn’t make sense in a modern society.
- MichaelZuo 2y ago
  Viable processes don’t suddenly pop into existence just because someone says so…? Most of Congress can’t acquire sufficient clearances to even learn the names of random middle managers in many offices in the IC, let alone to do anything about them.
  - Spooky23 2y ago
    They can defund the whole office, subdivision, or function. Life isn’t an episode of the apprentice… nobody in congress sees their oversight role as firing random post office clerks. That’s idiocy. Congress controls the law and the purse. Conservatives have been wielding this power for years - that’s why single moms are routinely nabbed in audits for earned income fraud, while rich people get away with donating millions to phoney foundations that they control for years. (Congress limits funding for enforcement) The executive has broad authority to take personnel actions while adhering to the law.
    - MichaelZuo 2y ago
      > They can defund the whole office, subdivision, or function. This doesn’t make sense, to suggest they have the opportunity to defund something that they don’t even know exists or what it includes is just not credible. How could if possibly come to their attention in the first place?

daveguy 2y ago

Congress has the power to impeach any federal official.

MichaelZuo 2y ago
Via what means…? Most don’t even have sufficient clearances to know the names of random middle managers in many many offices in the CIA/NSA, let alone do anything to them.

Spooky23 2y ago

They can be fired, there’s a variety of processes to do so. The obsession with firing people is this weird narrative the right wingers are always obsessed with. The cognitive dissonance between these high and mighty principles and what our principled republican colleagues have and will do is beyond ridiculous. Functional government is the goal of any mature stakeholder. We have 100+ years of spoils system that aptly demonstrates why that methodology doesn’t make sense in a modern society.

MichaelZuo 2y ago
Viable processes don’t suddenly pop into existence just because someone says so…? Most of Congress can’t acquire sufficient clearances to even learn the names of random middle managers in many offices in the IC, let alone to do anything about them.
- Spooky23 2y ago
  They can defund the whole office, subdivision, or function. Life isn’t an episode of the apprentice… nobody in congress sees their oversight role as firing random post office clerks. That’s idiocy. Congress controls the law and the purse. Conservatives have been wielding this power for years - that’s why single moms are routinely nabbed in audits for earned income fraud, while rich people get away with donating millions to phoney foundations that they control for years. (Congress limits funding for enforcement) The executive has broad authority to take personnel actions while adhering to the law.
  - MichaelZuo 2y ago
    > They can defund the whole office, subdivision, or function. This doesn’t make sense, to suggest they have the opportunity to defund something that they don’t even know exists or what it includes is just not credible. How could if possibly come to their attention in the first place?