Senate Budget Proposal Grants Trump $100 Million for Agency Reorganization

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A newly added provision to the Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation package would allocate $100 million to the White House for reorganizing federal agencies without Congress’s approval. Critics have called this move an “abrogation” of Congress’s power.

The proposal emerged from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as part of a broader effort to reduce federal spending to help fund tax cuts for the wealthy and enhance immigration enforcement. The measure also aims to protect federal employees from unfair discipline, emphasizing the need for due process.

The committee’s Republicans stated, “Prior to 1984, the president exercised reorganization authority that allowed him to develop plans for reorganizing, closing, or consolidating portions of the federal government identified as wasteful.” This authority, they noted, was used more than 100 times until its expiration in 1984.

The new measure would allow the president to recommence these reorganizations as long as they don’t lead to an increase in federal spending or the number of agencies. It also mandates that the White House submit an annual report of planned reorganizational changes, although it largely exempts the administration from other regulatory requirements.

If passed in its current form, this legislation could potentially undercut ongoing legal challenges against the Trump administration’s proposed reductions in federal positions. Plans for a Reduction in Force (RIF) impacting approximately 3% of employees are expected to be implemented by the end of June, affecting agencies not covered by current halts on workforce reductions.

John Hatton, staff vice president for policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, criticized the provision, asserting it grants the White House unchecked power to restructure the federal workforce. “This is quite radical. It would symbolize a very weak Congress and Senate if they allow this to pass,” he stated.

Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, claimed the measure could facilitate the dismantling of vital government services. He urged lawmakers to reject these components of the budget reconciliation bill, arguing, “This is about protecting all Americans, not just our members. Congress must not surrender its authority to the whims of a president who threatens the integrity of our institutions.”