For decades, unelected paper-pushers have dictated your daily life—everything from what appliances you can buy to how much water your toilet can flush. (Yes, really.) These agency heads, protected by layers of red tape and federal law, have operated as an untouchable class, immune to the will of voters who elect presidents to actually change things.
This constitutional mess has grown worse for 90 years, creating what many call a “fourth branch” of government—one that exists nowhere in our founding documents. But here’s where it gets interesting: the Supreme Court stands ready to restore the balance of power our founders intended, and the permanent Washington class is panicking.
From ‘Daily Wire’:
Where in the Constitution do you find the idea of independent regulators? It does not exist. We have three branches of government, and, in order of power, it’s supposed to be: legislative, executive, and judicial. With that said, all of these are unitary powers. The president is not supposed to implement legislative power, which is why many of the regulatory agencies that currently exist should be ruled unconstitutional.
The case before the Court involves President Trump’s attempt to fire Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic FTC commissioner who refuses to align with his administration’s agenda. Current law says she can only be removed for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance”—basically making her untouchable despite voters choosing new leadership.
Restoring Presidential Authority
This isn’t just about one stubborn commissioner, though. Twenty-four federal agencies operate under similar protections, insulating their leaders from the president Americans actually elected. Chief Justice Roberts—who called these independent agencies a “constitutional anomaly” back in 1983 when he had more hair and less patience—now has the chance to correct this decades-old mistake.
The Reagan administration first championed the unitary executive theory. Sounds fancy, but it’s simple: the president controls the executive branch. Period. Without this power, as Roberts noted, presidents can’t be held accountable for their administration’s actions. Think about it—voters lose their voice when career officials can’t be shown the door.
The Deep State’s Last Stand
Democrats have played this game masterfully for years. They’ve used these protected positions to maintain control even after losing elections. (Clever, if unconstitutional.) They’ve weaponized the regulatory state, ensuring their appointees keep pushing their agenda regardless of what voters want. Trump has already moved to replace obstructionist leaders at the National Labor Relations Board, Merit Systems Protection Board, and Consumer Product Safety Commission—exactly what voters expect from their chosen president.
The 90-year precedent protecting these positions? Never constitutional to begin with. It created an unaccountable bureaucracy that writes laws through regulations, enforces them without oversight, and fights tooth and nail against any reform. This parallel government has grown so powerful that elected officials often can’t implement the policies voters explicitly demanded.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appears ready to restore constitutional order—finally. When presidents can’t control their own executive branch, democracy becomes theater. Every American who voted for change deserves an administration that can deliver it, not one hobbled by untouchable career officials serving their own interests. That’s not democracy; that’s an administrative oligarchy dressed up in federal badges.
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court may restore presidential control over federal agencies
- Ninety-year precedent protecting unelected bureaucrats could fall
- Trump’s ability to fire resistant commissioners strengthens democratic accountability
- Constitutional originalism challenges the unconstitutional “fourth branch” of government
Sources: Daily Wire, The Washington Post
