By Matt Ford
Copyright newrepublic
It’s worth noting that dismantling ICE is an exception, not the rule, for how the next Democratic president will govern. There is a fundamental asymmetry in how progressive and conservative politics interact with the executive branch. DOGE’s war on the civil service stemmed from right-wing hostility to what they described as the “administrative state” and a zeal for deregulatory efforts on behalf of their wealthy benefactors. Liberal and progressive political goals, on the other hand, generally rely on a robust professional civil service.
Other tools abound. Trump has adopted some novel interpretations of two federal laws to achieve significant economic-policy victories. They offer promising opportunities for progressives as well. One is the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law that generally gives presidents certain powers to bolster key industrial sectors on national-security grounds. While it is most well-known today for its role in COVID-19 production, President Joe Biden invoked the law on multiple occasions to accelerate green-energy construction projects.
Trump, true to form, has apparently used it even more aggressively in some cases. Politico reported last month that the administration has taken an unannounced majority stake in MP Minerals, a mining company that focuses on rare-earth minerals. While the president cannot nationalize private companies through executive order under the 1952 Youngstown precedent, Trump’s move could open the door to greater government involvement in how mineral and energy companies are operated.
