There’s nothing like waking as much as the information as of late to search out out that one more horrible factor has occurred underneath the radar whereas we had been busy worrying about the entire different dreadful issues.
Final week, with no discover or fanfare, Secretary of the Inside Doug Burgum signed over his company to the so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity—the most recent step in DOGE’s takeover of the federal authorities.
Burgum might be greatest recognized for his lackluster presidential bid that concerned actually bribing folks with reward playing cards so he may qualify for the primary GOP major debate. After that flamed out, he turned a giant supporter of Donald Trump’s and was ostensibly on the shortlist for vp. In fact, that was by no means really going to occur as a result of Burgum doesn’t have the viciousness required of Trump’s VP.
As a substitute, Burgum settled for the Division of the Inside, which was supposedly a very good match as a result of he’s outdoorsy. He’s additionally stupendously wealthy, which additionally appears to be a qualification for Trump’s internal circle. However Burgum wasn’t actually all that focused on main the division, on condition that he simply handed over the reins to DOGE staffer Tyler Hassen.
Hassen is now in a position to concern coverage directives, make funding selections, and switch funds. He’s additionally in control of the “consolidation” of expertise, communications, monetary administration, contracting, and human assets—thinly veiled code for “trash the divisions and fire everyone.” Hassan can also be reviewing each grant over $50,000 with fellow DOGE denizen Matt Luby, who requested entry to the division’s grant system.
You is likely to be questioning who the hell Hassen is, and that’s not an uncommon response. He hasn’t been one of many high-profile DOGE varieties just like the racist one or the one who leaked delicate data. However that doesn’t imply he’s not harmful.
Hassen has no authorities background, however he does have an extended profession as an oil government. Underneath Trump, the Division of the Inside is shifting from defending the setting to making a gift of public lands to grease and gasoline corporations for drilling. And for that, Hassen is ideal.
It’s an attention-grabbing transfer for a celebration that insisted for many years that the true downside with the federal authorities was the meddling of unelected bureaucrats. Elect a populist like Trump, they mentioned, as a result of he’s accountable to voters and so clear! Cupboard secretaries will likely be confirmed by the Senate, giving the folks a say!
Yeah, about that.
Hassen was by no means confirmed by the Senate, however now he’s in control of a federal company whereas nonetheless working for DOGE, which isn’t an official authorities entity. It’s the very definition of an unelected, unaccountable bureaucrat.
Hilariously, the Trump administration says that Hassen’s new function with the Division of the Inside will be sure that “Trump’s executive order to restore accountability to the American public is carried out.”
As a result of nothing says “accountability” like shoving apart the Senate-confirmed secretary for some dude who nobody has ever heard of with values that run precisely counter to the conservation mission of the company.
In fact, this isn’t the primary company that has voluntarily abdicated core duties by handing them over to DOGE. Nonetheless, Burgum has been unusually deferential to DOGE, even by the requirements of an administration that has routinely bent the knee.
In February, Burgum appeared on Fox Information, gushing that his company was “completely embracing the DOGE effort. Part of what DOGE is bringing is awareness to the public, to the people that are in our country.”
Nicely, that’s true. However in all probability not in the way in which Burgum meant it.
We definitely are far more conscious of issues due to DOGE, however that’s as a result of they’re uniformly horrible.
When former U.S. Postmaster Basic Louis DeJoy fortunately introduced an alliance with DOGE, 10,000 jobs had been lower. Over on the Pentagon, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth praised DOGE for locating “waste,” which resulted in axing $580 million of contracts, packages, and grants. And NASA jumped to fireside folks and shutter three divisions just because DOGE mentioned so.
Elon Musk has just lately been making noise about stepping again from his function at DOGE. Who is aware of if that can really occur, although he’ll hit the 130-day restrict for particular authorities workers subsequent month. However even when Musk leaves, he could have put in his loyalists in every single place, with DOGE having burrowed into almost each authorities company.
It’s a shadow presidency that now not actually requires Musk. And it’s a shadow presidency that completely obscures the workings of presidency.
No matter that is, it’s positively not accountability.
