Hardly a day goes by in the halls of Congress without at least one lawmaker talking earnestly about the power of the purse — that legendary legislative branch check on the executive branch designed by the Founding Fathers.
But as the Trump administration slashes federal jobs, unilaterally restructures different agencies, and even halts spending already signed into law — the power of the purse is starting to look like a dusty old relic from the covered wagon days, as Congress sits meekly on the sidelines.
With their party in charge at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue for now, many Republicans in Congress are more than happy to let President Donald Trump take the lead on cuts to the federal bureaucracy.
“President Trump and Elon Musk are pulling back the curtain on their corruption, exposing the waste, fraud, and abuse,” said U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens.
Democrats on Capitol Hill have repeatedly sounded the alarm about Musk and his faux Department of Government Efficiency, angered by surprise job cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Veterans Affairs and other agencies.
“Every public servant lost at the CDC puts our communities at greater risk,” said U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta.
But while Democrats can hold rallies and fire off angry letters galore, they have almost no leverage to do anything about the president’s actions, especially when the Trump administration seems ready to ignore congressional spending decisions.
“All we’re trying to do,” said Russell Vought, the White House budget director, “is to get a handle on the waste, the inefficiency.”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Vought has called on Congress to get rid of a 1974 budget law which requires the president to carry out all spending approved by Congress. Clyde has introduced a bill that would repeal that law.
The speed of the unilateral Trump cuts stands in stark contrast to the years of deadlock on Capitol Hill about the budget and spending.
The budget hasn’t been balanced since the days of President Bill Clinton, as deficits continue to skyrocket. The last time Congress finished its yearly government funding work on time was back in 1996.
So far, Republicans have struggled to forge a deal on Trump’s agenda in Congress for a pretty basic reason. Many GOP lawmakers are worried by the deep spending cuts they’re going to be asked to vote for.
While Republicans spin their wheels, it’s not hard to understand why voters like Trump’s unilateral firings and executive actions. He’s getting something done, whether Congress is on board or not.
It’s safe to say that’s probably not how the Founding Fathers envisioned the system of checks and balances playing out under our Constitution.
But that’s where we are in 2025.
Jamie Dupree has covered national politics and Congress from Washington, D.C. since the Reagan administration. His column appears weekly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more, check out his Capitol Hill newsletter at http://jamiedupree.substack.com
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