Can increasingly slippery federal bureaucracies be held accountable for their failures? Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) says one way to stop their stonewalling is to start cutting funding every time they fail to answer questions.
But even Massie acknowledges that Republican members of Congress are reluctant to use the power of the purse.
The big menu item is cut their funding each and every time they refuse to answer a question. Congressional republicans are too weak to withhold funding for even one toner cartridge though, so the agencies laugh in our faces and yours.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 22, 2024
The push for accountability among the heads of several federal agencies reached a fever pitch during yesterday’s prolonged grilling of Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle by Republican and Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee.
But Cheatle’s abrupt resignation earlier today still leaves many unanswered questions and a growing sense that top federal officials remain disconnected from the American public.
The contemptible behavior extends further up the chain of command.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland refused to comply with House subpoenas to release transcripts of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with president Biden and was found in contempt of Congress.
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Defense Alejandro Mayorkas became the first cabinet secretary in 150 years to face impeachment over his mishandling of U.S. border security. Neither man appears to be in the slightest bit of danger of losing his job.
If the leadership of the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) aren’t consciously flouting their accountability to the American people, they’re certainly missing a great opportunity.
Unlike the show trial of the J6 Committee, the questions being asked by the House Oversight Committee represent actual policies and practices that are harming the American public. For agency heads to dismiss those concerns with, “I’m not going to be speaking on that…” or to hide behind a shield of national security claims is unacceptable.
But even Massies acknowledges that it will take backbone on the part of his GOP colleagues.
Perhaps they would sharpen their focus with a smaller budget. In any case, it’s the only way to get their attention. Republicans too frequently rationalize the current or increased spending levels by claiming “now is not the time.” Now is always the time, IMHO.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 22, 2024
The confusion of exactly who is charge at the federal level is growing.
Congress has the power to put the dogs back on their leashes. But does it have the will to do so?
Massie is correct on both counts… cutting their funding every time the heads of these bureaucracies refuse to answer legitimate questions about their agencies’ actions would
get their attention and Republicans don’t have the balls to do it.
In a perfect world, Massie would be Speaker. Alas, he’s not, but he is brilliant with a passion for constitutional governance not shared by most of his Republican peers. The power of the purse is the single most important power held by the House, which Massie understands. Dismantling the shadow government of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats and other slimy things crawling around Washington, D.C., begins and ends with threats…threats to force them all into the ranks of the unemployed! Oh, what a happy day that will be!