In a stunning display of bureaucratic overreach, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig told lawmakers Thursday he plans to ram through financial regulations despite operating as the sole member of what's supposed to be a five-person bipartisan panel.
Testifying before the House Agriculture Committee, Selig faced withering criticism from Democrats who suddenly care about "bipartisan structure" - but only when it serves their agenda. The real question Patriots should be asking: Why is this Obama-era holdover still calling the shots in Trump's second term?
This is exactly the kind of administrative state nonsense that President Trump and his DOGE efficiency czar Elon Musk are working to dismantle. Here we have an unelected bureaucrat deciding he can single-handedly impose regulations on American businesses and farmers without proper oversight or commission approval.
"The arrangement undermines the agency's bipartisan structure," Democrats complained - apparently forgetting how they cheered when Biden weaponized federal agencies against conservatives for four years.
Where are Trump's nominees to fill these vacant positions? This situation perfectly illustrates why the President's agenda of draining the swamp and cutting government waste is so critical. Agencies like the CFTC have become bloated, unaccountable bureaucracies that operate independently of the will of the American people.
Administrative State Run Amok
Selig's power grab represents everything wrong with Washington's permanent bureaucracy. These are the same deep state actors who spent Trump's first term trying to undermine his America First policies at every turn.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission should be protecting American farmers and businesses from unfair trade practices - not imposing more red tape that benefits Wall Street cronies and global competitors. Under proper leadership, this agency could actually serve the people instead of special interests.
With Republicans controlling Congress and Trump back in the White House, it's time to either fill these positions with America First appointees or eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic layers entirely. The administrative state has had its day - now it's time for accountability to the American people.