Four years ago, on the last day of President Trump’s first team, officials at the Office of Management and Budget detailed their belief that presidents should have the authority to refuse to spend on programs authorized and appropriated by Congress. Four years later, those same officials are Trump’s choices to take charge of OMB again. This week’s haphazard pause of all federal grants and loans was part of the plan to make this radical vision of the separation of powers a reality, and even though the pause was rescinded, the plan continues on. This week on our live show, David Dayen and writing fellow Luke Goldstein discuss this fight over impoundment, as well as looking at attacks on the federal workforce, the attempt to turn gig-economy workers into second-class employees, and more.
We also announced on the show that this is the last day of Luke’s fellowship, as he will be moving on to our friends at The Lever. Congratulations to Luke and thanks for all of his hard work!
As we cover the new regime in Washington and its impact on your life, we’ll be livestreaming every Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET to give you the information you need to understand the week in news. Join us by subscribing to our YouTube channel today!