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> The Republicans in Congress are more to blame for this mess than the White House. The fact that Congress is ineffective in no way absolves the executive bran

> The Republicans in Congress are more to blame for this mess than the White House. The fact that Congress is ineffective in no way absolves the executive branch of irresponsible or illegal behavior. The president took an oath.

Sabinus 2y ago
Everyone is responsible for their own behaviour but if the legislature doesn't function nothing else will either. And we know the legislature has progressively become less functional, less bipartisan, less legislation passed every decade.
khazhoux 2y ago
Genuine question: what here is illegal?
- vkou 2y ago
  The executive cannot just unilaterally shut down departments created by acts of congress. That's what makes it illegal.
  - khazhoux 2y ago
    18F was not created via act of Congress, as far as I have been able to tell. Do you see a source that shows otherwise?
    - beej71 2y ago
      I don't know about 18F, but the shutdowns are far more widespread than that.
    - Spooky23 2y ago
      18F was a business unit of the General Services Administration, which was created via 41 U.S.C. 251, the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949. The act transferred the function of the Federal Works Agency and the Treasury Bureau of Federal Supply to the GSA. The agency is directed and authorized to perform a variety of tasks, from real estate, to acquisition, to information technology and telecommunications. 31 USC 1535, The Economy Act, authorizes Federal agencies to purchase from each other in the interests of economy. Obvious application is that rather than have the Social Security Administration lease an office or build a building, they sublease or lease a facility owned by the GSA so Federal demand can be aggregated. 1 big lease is cheaper than 12 little ones. In the case of 18F, having a consultive entity within the GSA maximizes the value of procurements made by GSA and other agencies. When congress appropriates money to say, the Department of Labor to perform a function, DOL may choose to engage 18F to deliver or assist, avoiding additional procurement and taking advantage of investments and capability already built. Congress in 1949 recognized that basic concepts like shared services, aggregation and mission focus deliver value and promote efficient operations. The current regime's corrupt interest is obvious to anyone with a brain.
    - vkou 2y ago
      18F is not the only department that is being shut down. The current iteration of USAID was created by an act of Congress. Unless the President's office has been given the power to create and pass legislature at some point in the past five weeks, only Congress can unmake it. So was the CFPB, which is also being shut down. So was the Department of Education.

Sabinus 2y ago

Everyone is responsible for their own behaviour but if the legislature doesn't function nothing else will either. And we know the legislature has progressively become less functional, less bipartisan, less legislation passed every decade.

khazhoux 2y ago

Genuine question: what here is illegal?

vkou 2y ago
The executive cannot just unilaterally shut down departments created by acts of congress. That's what makes it illegal.
- khazhoux 2y ago
  18F was not created via act of Congress, as far as I have been able to tell. Do you see a source that shows otherwise?
  - beej71 2y ago
    I don't know about 18F, but the shutdowns are far more widespread than that.
  - Spooky23 2y ago
    18F was a business unit of the General Services Administration, which was created via 41 U.S.C. 251, the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949. The act transferred the function of the Federal Works Agency and the Treasury Bureau of Federal Supply to the GSA. The agency is directed and authorized to perform a variety of tasks, from real estate, to acquisition, to information technology and telecommunications. 31 USC 1535, The Economy Act, authorizes Federal agencies to purchase from each other in the interests of economy. Obvious application is that rather than have the Social Security Administration lease an office or build a building, they sublease or lease a facility owned by the GSA so Federal demand can be aggregated. 1 big lease is cheaper than 12 little ones. In the case of 18F, having a consultive entity within the GSA maximizes the value of procurements made by GSA and other agencies. When congress appropriates money to say, the Department of Labor to perform a function, DOL may choose to engage 18F to deliver or assist, avoiding additional procurement and taking advantage of investments and capability already built. Congress in 1949 recognized that basic concepts like shared services, aggregation and mission focus deliver value and promote efficient operations. The current regime's corrupt interest is obvious to anyone with a brain.
  - vkou 2y ago
    18F is not the only department that is being shut down. The current iteration of USAID was created by an act of Congress. Unless the President's office has been given the power to create and pass legislature at some point in the past five weeks, only Congress can unmake it. So was the CFPB, which is also being shut down. So was the Department of Education.