Hi,
The New York Times has revealed that Donald Trump and his minions are
plotting a terrifying power grab to transform the office of the
presidency, should he regain the White House in 2024.
Trump’s plan is based on a fringe legal theory called the “unitary
executive.” It would begin with a massive purge of the federal civil
service workforce and then bring independent government agencies like the
Justice Department under his direct personal authority, allowing him, for
instance, to jail his political opponents.^1
No president — even a progressive Democrat — should have this much
concentrated, unchecked power. That’s why Congress must act now to protect
our democracy from an authoritarian presidency.
Demand Progress has developed a series of steps Congress can take right
now to prevent this massive power grab and preserve its own role in our
democracy — but we need your help to fund this urgent campaign before it’s
too late.
[ [link removed] ]Will you donate to Demand Progress Action to support our work,
including pressuring Congress to strengthen accountability on the
executive branch and help stop the possibility of a power grab?
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In the name of corporate profits, conservatives have long sought to
undermine a core American principle — that the government is composed of
three separate branches with overlapping powers to check and balance each
other.
To defang the agencies that keep the air and water clean and food and
drugs safe, the right wing has sought to concentrate unbridled power
within the White House under the so-called unitary executive theory.
Trump’s plan is a maximalist version of this theory, allowing the
president to fire longstanding, nonpartisan civil service workers whose
jobs are now protected from political retribution. He wants every
conceivable government agency to take orders directly from the White House
and get the president’s personal permission before doing anything.^2
In addition, Trump wants to provide the president with the power to block
congressional spending by impounding funds for programs he doesn’t like —
as Nixon did for water pollution control programs before Congress banned
the practice.
Taken to the extreme, the unitary executive theory would upend our system
of checks and balances and empower an authoritarian president. That’s why
Congress must act NOW to nip this terrible idea in the bud.
The policy experts at Demand Progress have identified a series of
legislative actions that Congress can take now to stop any president from
seizing the authoritarian powers Trump and his team propose. But we must
act now before it’s too late.
[ [link removed] ]Will you make a donation to Demand Progress Action to support our work,
including protecting our democracy against authoritarianism?
With gratitude for all that you do,
Tihi and the team at Demand Progress Action
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Source:
1. The New York Times, "Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase
Presidential Power in 2025," [ [link removed] ]July 18, 2023.
2. Axios, "A radical plan for Trump’s second term," [ [link removed] ]July 22, 2023.
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