Policies & Analysis

The Trump administration unlawfully removed the head of the Federal Labor Relations Authority from her role before her term expired.

The Trump administration tried to remove Federal Labor Relations Authority Chairwoman Susan Tsui Grundmann from her role. Her term was not expiring until July 2025, and according to federal law, FLRA members can only be removed for "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office," and must have a hearing first. This removal follows the Trump administration's trend of unlawfully trying to remove Democratic appointees from independent agency boards. It politicizes agencies that were intended to be somewhat removed from politics and could hamper the protection of rights of federal employees.

The Trump administration has taken steps to illegally shut down the government agency created by Congress to protect consumers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created by Congress in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to protect American consumers from predatory behavior in the financial sector. The agency has faced many attacks, even as recently as 2024, but the Supreme Court overwhelmingly upheld its constitutionality. Despite its congressional mandate, the Trump administration is attempting to dismantle the CFPB. Elon Musk's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), following its usual pattern of illegally bulldozing agencies, changed part of the website and accessed agency data, including HR and payroll systems, as well as financial information and enforcement records. Musk posted “CFPB RIP” on X (formerly known as Twitter), which is also launching a digital banking service that would likely have been regulated by the agency. President Trump also appointed Russell Vought as Acting Director of the CFPB. Within days of his appointment, Vought issued a stop-work order and refused to request critical funds, effectively hamstringing the agency. Undermining the agency means undermining protections for consumers on critical issues like credit reporting and discriminatory lending, and it means the CFPB cannot continue litigating cases like those that recover billions of dollars for consumers.

This action purports to fire Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates internal government whistleblower complaints and prevents corruption.

The Office of Special Counsel exists to protect whistleblowers and other employees inside the government who call out improper and corrupt conduct. It was created after Watergate as part of the series of reforms to guarantee an independent, protected civil service that benefits the people, not the party in power or the personal interests of the president. For that reason, the head of the office serves a five-year term regardless of who holds the presidency, and can only be removed for good reason. The Trump Administration tried to fire Hampton Dellinger, the current Special Counsel, in a one-line email with no justification.

This order suspends enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prevents companies from committing bribery abroad.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits U.S. companies from paying bribes to foreign officials to get or maintain business. It is a vital tool in the U.S. fight against corruption abroad, which ultimately benefits democratic principles of transparency and rule of law, as well as U.S. customers and the U.S. national interest. It also projects the U.S. commitment to the rule of law abroad and ensures companies do not play an ever escalating game of incurring bribery costs. This order directs the Attorney General to halt any new investigations and review existing ones for 180 days, which can be extended even further.

This order suspends enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prevents companies from committing bribery abroad.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits U.S. companies from paying bribes to foreign officials to get or maintain business. It is a vital tool in the U.S. fight against corruption abroad, which ultimately benefits democratic principles of transparency and rule of law, as well as U.S. customers and the U.S. national interest. It also projects the U.S. commitment to the rule of law abroad and ensures companies do not play an ever escalating game of incurring bribery costs. This order directs the Attorney General to halt any new investigations and review existing ones for 180 days, which can be extended even further.

This action purports to fire MSPB Board Member Cathy Harris from her role at this independent agency.

The Merit Systems Protection Board is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1978 as part of the Civil Service Reform Act to uphold merit-based standards for the federal workforce and protect federal employees from prohibited personnel practices, including whistleblower retaliation. MSPB members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to seven-year terms and can only be removed by the President for "inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." MSPB member Cathy Harris was confirmed by the Senate on May 25, 2022. On February 11, President Trump purported to fire Ms. Harris with a one-sentence email that did not allege any cause for her removal. Harris sued the same day.

The order eliminated the Federal Executive Institute, which has grown leadership and management skills in over 30,000 senior federal leaders since 1968.

The order eliminated the Federal Executive Institute, which has developed leadership and management skills in over 30,000 senior federal leaders since 1968.

This order renames and further empowers a previously established office that focuses on strengthening government assistance to faith-based organizations.

This executive order replaces the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) with the White House Faith Office. Though largely a semantic switch, the EO does strike the referral requirements for organizations receiving federal funding. This means that if providers have religious objections to services, like reproductive care or care in the LGBTQ+ community, they are no longer obligated to refer clients to alternative options. That change could impact a myriad of programs including in the healthcare and education spaces.

This order directs the Attorney General to find and dismantle all Biden Administration policies, guidance, and international agreements related to gun safety.

This order calls on the Attorney General to examine all Biden Administration actions related to preventing gun violence for any limitations on the ability of gun owners and manufacturers to make, purchase, carry, or use firearms however they choose. This order likely presages the rollback of Biden-era policies regulating ghost guns, expanding background checks, and providing more oversight of gun dealers. It will make it harder for America to reduce crime, drug trafficking, and deaths by firearms, including the high toll on children and the disproportionate effect on people of color.

This National Institutes of Health guidance seeks to cut the amount of "indirect costs" funding that research institutions receive for facilities, equipment, and personnel.

This guidance caps the amount of "indirect costs" funding that universities and other research institutions receive at 15% of their "direct costs" amount. Until now, scientific and medical research institutions might receive 50% or more in indirect costs funding, which supports building and laboratory maintenance, equipment upkeep costs, accounting, and researcher compensation. The guidance will severely limit the ability of universities and other grant recipients to carry out vital and cutting edge research into topics affecting human health. Small institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities, may be especially likely to shutter research initiatives if they cannot access alternate funding in their budgets to cover indirect costs. America will lose its edge as a leader in research procedures and delivering results that positively impact health outcomes globally.

This policy cuts off all foreign aid to South Africa and prioritizes refugee resettlement for white South African farmers.

This policy expresses outrage at the treatment of "ethnic minority Afrikaners" in South Africa experiencing "racially discriminatory property confiscation," i.e., white South African farmers whose land is being redistributed by the government to promote domestic policy goals. In response, the executive order directs the government -- including USAID, which the administration is attempting to dismantle -- to stop providing any foreign aid to South Africa. The Order also directs the Departments of State and Homeland Security to prioritize humanitarian relief, including refugee admission and resettlement, for white South African farmers, despite the fact that the President suspended the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program three weeks ago.

This order creates a new task force, led by the Attorney General, to review Biden Administration actions protecting civil rights that it considers "anti-Christian."

This order establishes a Presidential Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, housed within the Department of Justice and led by the Attorney General. The order justifies this task force by citing supposedly anti-Christian actions taken during the Biden administration, including: requiring schools, employers and foster parents to treat LGBTQIA+ students, employees, and foster children with respect; arresting protestors who unlawfully blocked patients' access to abortion clinics; and recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility. The Task Force's duties include reviewing the activities of the Biden administration and suggesting that agencies terminate or revoke actions.