Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Proposes Shaking Up Agencies With Model That Hearkens Back To 1950s
The New York Times: Trump To Propose Government Reorganization, Targeting Safety Net Programs
President Trump plans to propose a reorganization of the federal government as early as Thursday that includes a possible merger of the Education and Labor Departments, coupled with a reshuffling of other domestic agencies to make them easier to cut or revamp, according to administration officials briefed on the proposal. The plan, which will most likely face significant opposition in Congress from Democrats and some Republicans, includes relocating many social safety net programs into a new megadepartment, which would replace the Department of Health and Human Services and possibly include the word “welfare” in its title. (Thrush and Green, 6/20)
The Washington Post: White House To Propose Merging Labor And Education Into One Agency As Centerpiece Of Federal Government Overhaul
Many changes the Trump White House will propose Thursday — the Labor and Education merger and other plans to consolidate offices with similar missions, for example — would need to be approved by Congress, making their success a long shot in a politically divided period leading up to the midterm elections. But the strategies could serve to better frame Trump’s vision of government amid complaints from conservatives about the growing budget deficit. The president has not advocated for specific changes to agencies’ structures, although his supporters often gripe about what they believe is a “deep state” of entrenched federal workers that they want removed. (Rein and Paletta, 6/20)
The Wall Street Journal: White House To Propose Merging Education, Labor Departments
The administration has also been weighing changes at the Department of Health and Human Services, such as consolidating safety-net programs under HHS. That could accompany a renaming of the department to something similar to its name in the 1970s, when it was called the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. HHS oversees Medicaid and other social assistance programs, while school meals and the food stamp program, formally called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are run by the Department of Agriculture. The Treasury and Department of Housing and Urban Development oversee still other programs. (Hackman and Morath, 6/20)
