Weekly Spotlight: Another Unprecedented Week
In these past two weeks, President Donald Trump has carried out an unprecedented abuse of executive power, testing the limits of what his position allows him.
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In these past two weeks, President Donald Trump has carried out an unprecedented abuse of executive power, testing the limits of what his position allows him.
After an initial onslaught of executive orders, the Trump administration has attempted to fire watchdogs en masse without notice to Congress, violating the law; initiated new efforts to politicize the federal workforce; tried to pause all federal grants; and advanced plans to expand law enforcement capabilities to deport undocumented immigrants.
President Trump and his administration are trying to bend all three branches of government to their will, even though the president is head of only the executive branch. Their actions could interrupt government services that were funded by Congress, which the Constitution has assigned the power of the purse, and could lead to serious constitutional rights violations. The policies could also more permanently expand presidential power.
The Trump administration is already facing multiple legal challenges over the rebranded Schedule F policy, birthright citizenship, and the now-rescinded funding freeze, setting the stage for Congress and the Supreme Court to play a huge role in either standing up to executive overreach or bending the knee to it.
It’s worth noting that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, led by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), sent a letter to President Trump demanding an explanation for the attempted watchdog firings, giving us a glimmer of hope that Congress will push back and assert themselves as a check on executive overreach.
POGO will be here every step of the way, advocating for a strong democracy that works for everyone, not just the powerful few.
INVESTIGATION
“Raging Misogynist” Now Federal Government H.R.’s Top Lawyer
The Office of Personnel Management’s new general counsel has a history of racist and sexist social media posts.
ANALYSIS
The Dangers of Trump’s Schedule Policy/Career Executive Order
Schedule F attempted to replace nonpartisan federal workers with partisan lapdogs. Schedule Policy/Career is even worse.
ANALYSIS
The Inspector General Caucus Must Stand Up Against Trump’s Illegal Firings
Congress must ensure that Trump removes inspectors general only for legitimate reasons — and only in a legal manner.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It’s clear that this move demonstrates that this White House is really keen on removing checks and balances, and this was their one tool about rooting out waste and fraud and they shot themselves in the foot, I am still not convinced they will get away with this.”
Danielle Brian, Executive Director, on NBC News
OVERHEARD
.@MorePerfectUS covered our investigation into the revolving door between ICE and its top contractor, GEO Group. Check out their breakdown:">https://t.co/U6WmocASbL
— Project on Government Oversight (@POGOwatchdog) January 16, 2025
ONE LINERS
“If you’ve got a direct, personal financial connection to the crypto industries, there’s a self-interested motivation to create the easiest possible path for the crypto world.”
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Director of Government Affairs, in The Intercept
“What President Trump has just done is strike this huge blow against independence. So I would imagine that it would cross the mind of an inspector general, or perhaps someone in their office, even before taking on an investigation: Would this investigation put my career at risk? Would it put my livelihood at risk?”
Faith Williams, Director of the Effective and Accountable Government Program, in Government Executive
“[Tulsi Gabbard] transferring ownership to her husband does nothing to resolve the conflict of interest. Recusing herself or getting a waiver for activities that effect the financial interests of TOA Studios does resolve the conflict of interest. She would need to likewise recuse herself from activities affecting all of her holdings.”
Greg Williams, Director of the Center for Defense Information, in Newsweek
“The pay-to-play nature of a contribution from this would-be contractor to the inaugural committee is classic legalized corruption.”
Danielle Brian, Executive Director, in NOTUS
“Markets like stability, and this level of unprecedented interference in the Federal Reserve would be anything but stable.”
Tim Stretton, Director of the Congressional Oversight Initiative, in CBS News
