Trump regime

The Hill -   he Trump Administration has proposed what could be the biggest overhaul in years of how the federal government distributes billions of dollars in grants, requiring senior appointees to conduct “pre-issuance reviews” that critics say pave the way for political interference in what should be independent research funding.  The proposal, which was more than 400 pages long and was published in the Federal Register Friday, by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calls for the review of awards on several grounds, including whether they “demonstrably advance the President's policy priorities.” 

Agencies would also have broad authority to terminate awards if they decide that a grant no longer aligns with government goals or interests, similar to “termination for convenience” provisions in federal contracts.

MS NOW -   When Markwayne Mullin appeared before Congress Tuesday for the first time as homeland security secretary, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked a question Mullin should have had no trouble answering: Will the Department of Homeland Security follow federal court orders?

Mullin couldn’t give Murphy a straight answer (nor could he provide one to similar questions from Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., on Wednesday). The secretary repeatedly evaded questions, refused to commit to complying with the law and suggested DHS would abide by some court orders and ignore others supposedly based on “political opinion, not just the rule of law.”

While the administration has regularly described its immigration policies as upholding the rule of law, its actions tell a different story.

But that’s not how the rule of law works. This principle — that the government is constrained by legal rules promulgated publicly and enforced consistently — is foundational to American democracy. It is a key reason we have a government “of laws, and not of men,” as John Adams wrote 250 years ago.

Murphy’s question didn’t come out of nowhere. Earlier this year, a Republican-appointed judge found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated at least 96 federal court orders in Minnesota alone in less than a month.