Letters | US lawmakers are finally putting a check on the executive branch
Readers discuss the signs of recovery in the US system of checks and balances, how to better leverage Hong Kong Observatory’s resources, and appreciation for the city’s emergency response
A founding doctrine of the US government is checks and balances. In granting distinct powers to separate branches of the government, the US Constitution places limits on each branch’s power. The boundaries of power for the executive and legislative branches of government, however, have become blurred.
Since his second inauguration as US president, Donald Trump has issued over 200 executive orders to advance his priorities on spending reductions, tariffs, trade, college admissions, research and immigration, among others. The expansion of executive power has been enabled by unified Republican control, Trump’s charisma, and a White House team with institutional knowledge regarding how to get things done in a complex federal bureaucracy.
The two legislative actions show signs of recovery in the system of checks and balances. Both actions involved compromise despite partisan and ideological differences. Equally important is the level of agency being exercised among the rank-and-file lawmakers despite persistent pressure exerted by the leadership in each party.
In the Senate, a small group of Democratic senators took political risks to break away from the Senate minority leadership earlier this month. While the compromise does not immediately address the escalating insurance costs in the Affordable Care Act, a major concern for the Democratic leadership, the Republican-controlled Senate agreed to vote on healthcare affordability later in the year, temporarily preventing the Trump administration from firing federal workers.