President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aiming to expand the White House’s authority over various independent regulatory agencies.
Trump issued an order titled “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies” that would require independent agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to submit proposed regulations to the White House for review.
The order also calls for the head of the Office of Management and Budget, currently Russell Vought, to review the agencies’ spending to ensure it aligns with the president’s priorities.
“These regulatory agencies currently exercise substantial executive authority without sufficient accountability to the President, and through him, to the American people,” the order states. “Moreover, these regulatory agencies have been permitted to promulgate significant regulations without review by the President.”
The executive action is expected to trigger a legal battle, as Congress established that the agencies affected by the order would operate with some independence from the White House.