Congress, Trump, and the fight for the future of America

Based in Washington, D.C., the nonprofit Brookings Institution provides “in-depth research that leads to new ideas” for present-day U.S. social and economic issues, including our national government.

As of 2024, Brookings discovered our federal workforce remained about the same size for the previous 50 years while the U.S. population grew by 68% (today 340 million).

When dollars and cents are added to current federal budgets, it is now five times larger with a national debt above $38 trillion — or $112,868 per each U.S. adult and child.

But, (you have to use “but” in these discussions) how is it possible for the budget to grow five times larger with the same-sized federal workforce? Technology and inflation are half an answer.

The other half appears when you discover “civilian” contract employees outnumber federal workers by more than two to one, often seated side by side in the same office.

But, (again) how do you begin reducing expenses while finding most federal funding is tied to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and military programs? Just firing workers is not the only answer.

Increased taxes are a possibility. Enhanced technology is another. President Bill Clinton came to office on Jan. 20, 1993, as the nation continued to struggle from an earlier recession.

To his advantage, the Democratic Party held majorities in both the House and Senate. Vice President Al Gore’s assignment was to develop “the plan,” a National Partnership for Reinventing Government (REGO).

Clinton’s Executive Order 12839 began with a six-month “National Performance Review” that produced nearly 400 recommendations, including the Telecommunications Act of 1996 with enhanced internet access.

In succeeding years, REGO used normal attrition and early retirement buy-outs to cut both federal and contract positions by 20% — a reduction of some 350,000 workers.

On another level, Clinton encouraged increased taxes on high-income earners along with reduced defense budgets. His eight years in office created a federal surplus from 1998 to 2001, the first in 30 years!

Clinton left office with a 66% approval rating.

Sixteen years later, Donald Trump began his first term with a strong economy inherited from President Obama and Republicans in control of Congress; however, those advantages were lost in mid-term elections as Democrats regained the House.

Voters were not impressed with President Trump’s reinstated tax cuts for high-income earners and corporations; deregulation of consumer protections; trade tariff protectionism; and attempts to repeal federal healthcare (Affordable Care Act).

And then, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived to end Trump’s first term with only a 40% approval rating.

In 2021, Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris defeated the incumbent Trump with the highest voter turnout since 1900.

Biden received 51.3% of votes; however, this did not prevent Trump from claiming “rigged machines” caused his defeat.

Four years later witnessed a cantankerous presidential race as the Democratic Party suddenly dropped President Biden to favor Vice President Kamala Harris.

On the other side, the Republican Party had prepared a colossal strategy, Project 2025, to re-elect Trump with a focus on key states within the Electoral College. He won 312 to 226 with Electoral College votes while gaining only 49.8% of popular votes.

On day one of President Trump’s second term, he issued 26 Executive Orders that followed the 900-plus pages of Project 2025 to quickly consolidate or eliminate government agencies and, thereby, reduce the number of federal and contract workers.

These actions were overseen by a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with billionaire corporate icon Elon Musk as its director.

With chainsaw precision, federal workers were eliminated as special contract workers loyal to the president replaced many. A rapid reduction of 300,000 federal and civilian workers left scars while ICE “Metro Surges” (in selected blue states) produced public protests (better known as “riots” among Republicans).

These disruptions in federal agencies and programs became so chaotic that within months Trump and Musk agreed to disagree with Musk resigning.

President Trump now returned to his 2025 master plan with a “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which allowed federal, state, and local funding to be withheld from education, healthcare, student loans, and worldwide relief projects.

But (yes) the military received increased funds along with ICE.

Today, as a footnote to President Trump’s first year into his second term, we find mixed results both at home and abroad.

Worldwide tariff adjustments, and a Supreme Court ruling most of those to be illegal, stirred the pot within Washington and internationally as he shared mixed messages for regime change and the Israeli-Trump Middle East Wars.

So, what changes are ahead as we await the results of our Nov. 3, 2026, U.S. midterm elections for all 435 House seats and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats?

Our new 120th Congress will be seated in January 2027 as President Trump begins his last two years in office.

If Democrats are able to flip enough seats to sway Congress, Trump will have a hissy fit.

If, however, Trump is successful by hook or crook in turning our state-run, Constitution-based elections into his SAVE America Act — there’ll be hell to pay.