Streamlining the Executive Branch

The power of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who also acts as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise.

The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. 

To help minimize the abuse of power and bureaucracy, the following changes are proposed for discussion.

The Department of Commerce is the government agency tasked with improving living standards for all Americans by promoting economic development and technological innovation.

The department supports U.S. business and industry through a number of services, including gathering economic and demographic data, issuing patents and trademarks, improving understanding of the environment and oceanic life, and ensuring the effective use of scientific and technical resources. The agency also formulates telecommunications and technology policy, and promotes U.S. exports by assisting and enforcing international trade agreements.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule. 

The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. The department’s headquarters is at the Pentagon.

The DOD is also tasked with ensuring America’s nuclear security, and with protecting the environment by providing a responsible resolution to the legacy of nuclear weapons production.

The DOD consists of the Departments of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and National Nuclear Security Administration as well as many agencies, offices, and commands, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The DOD occupies the vast majority of the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA.

All Department employees other than military personnel are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The mission of the Department of Education is to promote student achievement, self-reliance and preparation for competition in a global economy by elevating the American education system to be among the best in the world.  Each student shall be educated in core areas including English proficiency, conversational ability in at least one foreign language, history, civics, critical thinking, sciences, mathematics, and at least three vocational skills (ie. carpentry, electrical distribution, plumbing, metal working, cooking, computer systems, computer programming, agriculture, livestock management, aquaculture, law enforcement, firefighting, accounting, nutrition, textile production, transportation mechanics, and heavy equipment operations).

The Department administers the public library system, federal financial aid for education, vocational centers for districts that cannot afford them, sets standards and collects data on America’s schools to guide improvements in education quality including per capita spending on education by district, and works to complement the efforts of state and local governments, parents, and students.

The Department of Education also promotes spending on education by using the data to improve local spending decisions given that education is a national priority.  It also works to ensure our teachers are well qualified, justly compensated and perform to a set of standards through an ongoing certification process.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. Agencies of HHS conduct health and social science research, work to prevent disease outbreaks, assure food and drug safety, and provide health insurance.

In addition to administering Medicare and Medicaid, which together provide health insurance to one in four Americans, HHS also oversees the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and Social Security Administration.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The missions of the Department of Homeland Security are to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks; protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and key resources; and respond to and recover from incidents that do occur. The third largest Cabinet department, DHS was established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, largely in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. 

The new department consolidated 22 executive branch agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

DHS mission is to patrol borders, protect travelers and our transportation infrastructure, enforce immigration laws, and respond to disasters and emergencies.

The agency also promotes preparedness and emergency prevention among citizens. Policy is coordinated by the Homeland Security Council at the White House, in cooperation with other defense and intelligence agencies, and led by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.

All Department employees, except USCG and US Secret Service members are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The Department of the Interior (DOI) develops and executes policy on land use, environmental quality and energy production. Its aims include meeting the needs of farmers and ranchers, promoting agricultural trade and production, assuring food safety, and protecting natural resources.

Its mission is to protect America’s natural resources includes responsibilities to offer recreation opportunities, conserve and protect fish and wildlife, and honor our trust responsibilities to American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and our responsibilities to island communities.

The DOI also promotes America’s energy security by encouraging the development of reliable, clean, and affordable energy. 

DOI manages 500 million acres of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States, and manages hundreds of dams and reservoirs. Agencies within the DOI include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Minerals Management Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The DOI manages the national parks and is tasked with protecting endangered species.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The mission of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

The DOJ is comprised of 40 component organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Attorney General is the head of the DOJ and chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters, advises the President and the heads of the executive departments of the government, and occasionally appears in person before the Supreme Court.

All Department employees except those engaged in field law enforcement operations are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  Field law enforcement operatives are exempt from the rule during the period of their field service only.

The Department of Scientific Advancement administers National Laboratories for the understanding and advancement of physical and life sciences and engineering technologies.  The Laboratories’ goals are to develop cutting edge and advanced technologies that can be applied for the betterment of defense, energy production, agriculture, medicine, health, communications, exploration, objective search algorithms, surveillance, transportation, computations, and national security.

The DOSEA maintains many national laboratories including Lawrence Livermore, Pacific Northwest, Los Alamos, Renewable Energy Laboratory, Argonne, Sandia, Brookhaven, Oak Ridge, National Institutes for Health, National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Centers for Disease Control among others.

It also administers federal funding for scientific research grants to further the goal of discovery and innovation — ensuring American economic competitiveness and improving the quality of life for Americans.

Administration of the Department above the Laboratories is limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The Department of State plays the lead role in developing and implementing the President’s foreign policy. Major responsibilities include United States representation abroad, foreign assistance, foreign military training programs, countering international crime, and a wide assortment of services to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals seeking entrance to the U.S.

The U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 180 countries — each posted by civilian U.S. Foreign Service employees — as well as with international organizations.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

The mission of the Department of Transportation (DOT) is to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the American people.

Organizations within the DOT include the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Maritime Administration.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule. 

The Department of the Treasury is responsible for promoting economic prosperity and ensuring the soundness and security of the U.S. and international financial systems.

The Department operates and maintains systems that are critical to the nation’s financial infrastructure, such as the production of coin and currency, the disbursement of payments to the American public, the collection of taxes, and the borrowing of funds necessary to run the federal government. The Department works with other federal agencies, foreign governments, and international financial institutions to encourage global economic growth, raise standards of living, and, to the extent possible, predict and prevent economic and financial crises. The Treasury Department also performs a critical and far-reaching role in enhancing national security by improving the safeguards of our financial systems, implementing economic sanctions against foreign threats to the U.S., and identifying and targeting the financial support networks of national security threats.

All Department employees except those engaged in field law enforcement operations are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  Field law enforcement operatives are exempt from the rule during the period of their field service only.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits. Veterans Affairs became a cabinet-level department in 1989.

Of the 25 million veterans currently alive, nearly three of every four served during a war or an official period of hostility. About a quarter of the nation’s population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for V.A. benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

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The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits. Veterans Affairs became a cabinet-level department in 1989.

Of the 25 million veterans currently alive, nearly three of every four served during a war or an official period of hostility. About a quarter of the nation’s population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for V.A. benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans.

All Department employees are limited to the 12 year public service rule.  

Absorbed into the Department of the Interior

Absorbed into the Department of the Interior and Department of Scientific and Engineering Advancement.

Absorbed into the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of the Interior.

Relegated to the States.