There’s nothing like waking as much as the information nowadays to search out out that one more horrible factor has occurred beneath the radar whereas we have been busy worrying about all the 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 identified for his lackluster presidential bid that concerned literally bribing folks with reward playing cards so he might qualify for the primary GOP main debate. After that flamed out, he turned an enormous supporter of Donald Trump’s and was ostensibly on the shortlist for vice chairman. After all, 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 match as a result of he’s outdoorsy. He’s additionally stupendously rich, which additionally appears to be a qualification for Trump’s interior circle. However Burgum wasn’t actually all that interested by main the division, on condition that he simply handed over the reins to DOGE staffer Tyler Hassen.
Hassen is now able to difficulty coverage directives, make funding selections, and switch funds. He’s additionally accountable for the “consolidation” of expertise, communications, monetary administration, contracting, and human assets—thinly veiled code for “trash the divisions and fireplace everybody.” Hassan can be reviewing each grant over $50,000 with fellow DOGE denizen Matt Luby, who requested entry to the division’s grant system.
You is perhaps questioning who the hell Hassen is, and that’s not an uncommon response. He hasn’t been one of many high-profile DOGE sorts just like the racist one or the one who leaked delicate info. However that doesn’t imply he’s not harmful.
Hassen has no authorities background, however he does have a protracted profession as an oil executive. Below Trump, the Division of the Inside is shifting from defending the surroundings to giving away public lands to grease and fuel firms for drilling. And for that, Hassen is ideal.
It’s an fascinating transfer for a celebration that insisted for many years that the true drawback 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 probably 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 accountable for 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 position with the Division of the Inside will make sure that “Trump’s govt order to revive 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.
After all, 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 “utterly embracing the DOGE effort. A part of what DOGE is bringing is consciousness to the general public, to the folks which might be in our nation.”
Properly, that’s true. However most likely not in the best way Burgum meant it.
We definitely are rather more conscious of issues because of DOGE, however that’s as a result of they’re uniformly horrible.
When former U.S. Postmaster Normal Louis DeJoy fortunately introduced an alliance with DOGE, 10,000 jobs have been minimize. 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 fireplace folks and shutter three divisions just because DOGE mentioned so.
Elon Musk has lately been making noise about stepping again from his position at DOGE. Who is aware of if that can really occur, although he’ll hit the 130-day restrict for particular authorities staff subsequent month. However even when Musk leaves, he can have put in his loyalists all over the 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.
