President Trump Prepares to Streamline the Executive Branch

President Donald Trump is now poised to shrink the size of the federal government workforce to levels not seen in nearly a century, and in so doing, will officially “drain the swamp” by enacting what is known in business as “lean management.”

“Today there is duplication and redundancy everywhere,” he said. “Billions and billions of dollars are being wasted on activities that are not delivering results for hardworking American taxpayers, and not even coming close.”

Following his meeting Monday with his Cabinet, the president signed an executive order to do just that.

The order directs the Director of the Office of Management & Budget Mick Mulvaney to propose a plan to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies, components of agencies and agency programs. Within 180 days, the head of each agency is required to submit a proposed plan to reorganize his or her agency to “improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of that agency.”

Over the 180 days following the submission of those proposals, Mulvaney will then develop a final reorganization proposal that he will submit to the president. The factors he must consider—according to the language of the executive order—include:

• whether some or all of the functions of an agency, a component or a program are appropriate for the federal government or would be better left to state or local governments or to the private sector through free enterprise;
• whether some or all of the functions of an agency, a component or a program are redundant, including with those of another agency, component or program;
• whether certain administrative capabilities necessary for operating an agency, a component or a program are redundant with those of another agency, component or program;
• whether the costs of continuing to operate an agency, a component or a program are justified by the public benefits it provides; and
• the costs of shutting down or merging agencies, components or programs, including the costs of addressing the equities of affected agency staff.

Trump said the order begins the process of a “long overdue” reorganization of federal departments and agencies. He said he’s assembled “one of the greatest Cabinets in history,” and he wants to empower them to make their agencies as lean and effective as possible.

“This order requires a thorough examination of every executive department and agency to see where money is being wasted, how services can be improved and whether programs are truly serving American citizens,” he said. “Based on this input, we will develop a detailed plan to make the federal government work better—reorganizing, consolidating and eliminating where necessary: In other words, making the federal government more efficient and very, very cost-productive.

“So we’re going to do something I think very, very special—they never have been done to the extent that we’re going to be able to do it. And you’re already seeing results. We will then work with Congress to implement these recommendations on behalf of the American people.” {eoa}