President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday that seeks to dismantle eight federal agencies, with the latest action building on his prior directive to eliminate elements of the federal bureaucracy deemed “unnecessary.”
The president’s March 14 order directs the agencies to shut down all non-legally required functions, cut staff, and reduce statutory roles to the bare minimum required by law.
He has given agency heads seven days to report compliance to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)—or justify the continued existence of whichever functions still remain.
A White House fact sheet notes that the cuts are to “enhance accountability, reduce waste, and promote innovation.”...