Unchecked Dogecoin Authority: Operating Without Election, Oversight, or Constitutional Grounding
In a series of controversial moves, the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been accused of threatening democratic norms and the system of checks and balances.
The DOGE, formed by former President Donald Trump on January 20th, has illegally obstructed the operations of numerous government agencies, including USAID. The administration's halting of payments to USAID has been found unconstitutional and contrary to democratic principles, as it violated the separation of powers by bypassing Congress's appropriations authority.
The power of the purse lies solely with Congress, neither the president nor an organization like DOGE has the authority to block payments allocated by Congress. The administration's actions, such as the ones taken by DOGE, are part of the largest expansion of executive power in recent memory.
The freeze on USAID payments has had significant practical and democratic consequences. It devastated US foreign aid programs, leading to staff layoffs, program cancellations, and harm to global humanitarian efforts. Critics argue that such disruptiveness damages US “soft power” and global relationships, weakening diplomatic tools shaped by elected representatives.
Legal battles and court orders have challenged and partially reversed these freezes, emphasizing their problematic constitutional and democratic nature. Courts intervened to block these freezes, affirming Congressional control over appropriations and limiting Executive overreach.
The DOGE is primarily composed of college students and former X/Tesla employees. The actions of the DOGE are a flagrant disregard for democratic checks and balances, a threat to the system that maintains the balance of power between the Executive and Legislative branches.
It is the responsibility of every American to defend the republic from the continued assault of organizations like DOGE. The actions of the DOGE undermine Congress's constitutional mandate over federal spending, disrupting established checks and balances by substituting Presidential priorities for Congress's will as expressed through appropriations.
In a related development, the National Security Advisor Mike Waltz added a journalist to a Signal group chat containing Vice President J.D. Vance, DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other high-ranking officials. The group chat discussed imminent airstrikes, raising concerns about the transparency and accountability of such discussions.
These findings reflect legal and democratic consensus that withholding appropriated funds without congressional consent contradicts both constitutional mandates and democratic accountability. The future of such organisations and their actions remains a topic of ongoing debate and scrutiny.
(References: 1. CNN 2. Constitutional Accountability Center 3. HuffPost 4. The Washington Post 5. The New York Times)
- The opinion of critics holds that the DOGE's actions, such as obstructing USAID operations, are a violation of democratic principles, as they bypass Congress's appropriations authority and infringe on the power of the purse.
- The diversity of perspectives on the actions of the DOGE, particularly in regards to its disregard for democratic checks and balances, has led to a variety of news articles and discussions in general-news and political sectors.
- In admissions for the DOGE, there seems to be a preference for college students and former employees of X/Tesla, raising questions about the transparency and the potential for political bias in policy-and-legislation or events decisions.
- Aside from the controversial DOGE, other news stories highlight incidents of crime and justice, war-and-conflicts, and international diplomacy that have significant implications for the nation and the global community.
- The actions of the DOGE, including the obstruction of USAID payments, have been met with legal challenges and court orders aimed at maintaining the separation of powers and upholding democratic norms and principles, as seen in the cases cited by CNN, Constitutional Accountability Center, HuffPost, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
