Ax? Surely you jest!
Others on the list:
Education Department
Energy Department
Interior Department
Agriculture Department
Housing and Urban Development Department
Transportation Department
Interior Department
Labor Department
Homeland Security Department
Council of Economic Advisers
Small Business Administration
CLICK ABOVE LINK TO READ THE REASONS AS TO WHY WE CAN DO WITHOUT THEM.
Isn’t going to happen.
Define the interstate commerce clause as it should have been, and almost everything Federal goes away.
For good measure, repeal the 16th amendment and watch the states reassert their power.
The very first step is to crush the unions, without that none of the rest is possible!
Thanks, ping for recollection.
I guess we can dream.
I doubt this gets much notice but did you know that USDA mpw underwrites loans for non-farm properties, as in houses in subdivisions, in “certain” designated rural areas? E.g. a house on a street on a lot of less than one acre in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
ZERO down.
Just wrong.
I agree that incremental reform is not an option. The EPA needs to be wrestled to the ground and a stake driven in its heart. Then rinse and repeat for the Dept of Energy and Education just to start.
Rinos and middle of the road Republicans should investigate the libertarian agenda with an open mind. There are different flavors of libertarianism. My pick is the one that created this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfpO-WBz_mw
Oddly enough I disagree, but only because there is a need for “finesse” downgrading.
To start with, many federal employees have broken the law and need to either be prosecuted, or at least fired and barred from future employment with the federal government. Likewise, a vast number of regulations need to be formally overturned in a way to minimize harm if there is the potential for harm. Therefore, a cabinet officer will have to manage the scuttling of each agency, to insure it is done properly. Likewise, duties of that agency that are worthwhile need to be shifted to other agencies.
Start with the EPA: instead of firing everyone, change their primary mission to superfund clean up. While largely forgotten, there are still parts of the US with severe, intensive and extensive pollution that needs to be policed up or else it will eventually start hurting and killing people.
Education Department: While the school lunch program has been piggybacked with hundreds of onerous and unrelated federal regulations, when it actually provides lunches for children, it is very popular. So Education should mostly be gutted, and the lunch program turned into block grants for the states, to use at their discretion.
Energy Department: DOE is responsible for important monitoring of nuclear materials and nuclear weapons, and is also needed for energy grid maintenance and protection. While it can be cut back, there are still some vital missions.
Interior Department: In need of a major contraction, this goes hand in glove with the return of most federal land takings back to the states. However, the US Geological Survey (USGS) is a vital part of interior, as is, I hate to say it, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which needs a major revamp, renegotiation of Indian treaties, including the creation of federal business law for the reservations.
Agriculture Department: This New Deal agency is another nightmare, but agriculture is so vital to our national security and prosperity that we have to have something in place. The scale of American agribusiness is immense.
Housing and Urban Development Department: This is one agency that needs to be kicked in the cajones and shown the door. All housing projects should be turned over to the states, and the HUD obsession with “fair housing” to the point of ridiculousness needs to stop.
Transportation Department: Every penny of gas taxes should only be used to build, support and repair federal highways. Different monies to maintain railroads and air travel. Though building airport hubs in rural areas with strict prohibitions against nearby development could be a huge boost to air travel, even if used solely for cargo.
Labor Department: There are some sub agencies here that need preservation.
Homeland Security Department: While this agency should be scrubbed, there are many sub agencies within that need to be scrubbed first. It will need a lot of management while being shut down.
Health and Human Services: This one will also need to be guided down. An awful lot of work.
The 17 Agencies of the US Intelligence Community. What a den of vipers.
The 100+ federal police agencies, whereas the US needs about a dozen.
Needed additions to the list: ALL Czars, and the federal courts need a major structural and procedural overhaul.
Ax? Surely you jest!
Eliminate the IRS and substitute a lower corporate tax and a national sales tax.
Then you will really take the power away from DC.