When President Donald Trump promises to drain the swamp of Washington D.C., people cheer loudly at his rallies. But as we've seen for decades, firing government bureaucrats is easier said than done no matter how egregious or incompetent their behavior may be. Major reforms are needed to truly rid the system of corruption and to return power of government to the American people.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, better known as ALEC, is out with a new report this week detailing how the President can get the job done.
"During his inaugural speech, newly-elected President Trump declared that 'what truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.' Many commentators took the President’s statement as a declaration of war against the political establishment of both parties. Once Trump assumed office, however, it became clear what permanent, entrenched establishment most stood in his way: the administrative state," the report states. "In just the first month of the new administration’s tenure, the fourth branch of government—the so-called 'deep state'—has sprung into action to oppose the policies it has tried to advance. While Trump was able to fire some Obama-era political appointees, such as acting Attorney General Sally Yates, numerous lower-level employees—protected by more than a century old laws that have expanded well beyond their original intent—have organized to derail the new president and nearly any policy initiative he attempts to advance."
"Regardless of the merits of any presidential administration’s policies, federal bureaucrats must be held democratically accountable to elected officials and to the American people," the report continues. "Federal bureaucrats have created their own elite political class, and stay in office regardless of the results of elections, remaining free to contravene the expressed will of American voters."
Director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force at ALEC and report co-author Inez Feltscher Stepman explains:
In January, the White House was asked about whether the administration plans to pursue reforms that would allow for the swift firing of bad government employees. The issue will reportedly be addressed more formally by the White House early next week.