One Big Beautiful Step Into Authoritarianism
What’s buried in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”? A quiet restructuring of democracy—and a dangerous consolidation of power.
What we're thinking about
You didn't think we would get through this week without talking about the "One Big Beautiful Bill" did you? While we think that mainstream media is covering the tax legislation thoroughly, less sources are covering the subtle yet terrifying items that increase executive power giving more strength to the administration. Let's review the highlights.
The most contentious provision of this bill - found in section 70302 of the OBBB - restricts federal courts from using appropriated funds to enforce contempt citations against government officials who fail to comply with injunctions or temporary restraining orders - except under specific rare circumstances. What does this mean in layman's terms? That our president can defy a court order without any recourse. Yes, we have laws in place and a judicial system. We are supposed to have separation of powers and checks and balances. We all learned about this in eighth grade civics class. But what do the laws matter if there is no recourse for ignoring them?
Another provision of this bill - found in section 70200 - is a version of the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. There are two major parts to this regulation:
Any major new rule or regulation made by a government agency must get approved by Congress before it can take effect.
Old rules that were never officially approved by Congress could be deleted by the president - if Congress doesn't vote to keep them within 5 years.
Why does this matter? Normally, agencies can create rules using expert staff and public input, and those rules go into effect unless Congress steps in to stop them. This would flip that process - it makes Congress have to say "yes" to every big rule first. This slows down how government protects the public and gives more control to politicians who may not be experts and can be influenced by lobbyists.
Lastly, we wanted to review a few sections within Title V of that Big Beautiful Bill. Let's break it down:
This bill - section 50002 - eliminates the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). The PCAOB checks up on how accounting firms audit big companies to make sure they follow the rules. This task has been shifted over to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) instead - which is more directly influenced by the White House.
In section 50003 - takes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) - which protects people from unfair banking and lending practices - and puts it directly under Congressional control. This limits the agencies independence. In addition, section 50004 takes fines collected by CFPB from bad-acting companies and redirects the money to the U.S Treasury instead of using them for consumer education and financial support. This money was meant to directly help the public. Now it's going into the hands of the Treasury.
In section 50005 - restricts how much money the Office of Financial Research (OFR) can use. OFR collects data to help prevent future financial crisis. This makes it harder for OFR to do it's job keeping tabs on risky financial behavior.
In section 50001 - rescinds unused money from HUDs Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. This program was developed to fund energy-efficient upgrades in low-income housing. Instead, this money will go back into the general budget.
So what do all of these changes to Title V mean for us? Well, in simple terms, it makes it harder for independent agencies to act freely without political interference. It cuts their funding, folds some into other agencies and shifts how they are managed. This is part of a larger strategy to weaken checks on executive and legislative power and increase political control over technical, regulatory work.
The "One Big Beautiful Bill" is being sold as a budget bill, but underneath the surface, it makes big changes to how our government works - and not in ways that most people are hearing about. The bill quietly shifts the balance of power by letting the president ignore court orders, allowing the president to cancel old regulations, and centralizing rule-making power by requiring new regulations to be approved by Congress first, instead of by experts. It slows down or blocks agencies from being able to do their jobs. Of course, with all of the employees being fired, who will be there to do them anyway?
What we're reading, watching, or listening to
Could there be more press about this bill? We can't read enough about it. Robert Reich covers the federal court restrictions in a great piece called The hidden provision in the big ugly bill that makes Trump king viewable on Substack. This topic is covered in more detail here A Terrible Idea which is written by Erwin Chemerinsky. Chemerinsky is the U.C. Berkeley School of Law Dean and Distinguished Professor.
The Tax Foundation.org also does a fantastic breakdown of the tax provisions in this bill. I know there are a lot of sources for this information out there right now, but this one really makes it easy to understand. One Big Beautiful Bill pro's and cons.
What's bringing us joy
A group of grandmas, lovingly calling themselves The Knitting Nanna's have been making tiny sweaters for penguins to keep them warm and safe from toxins after being rescued from oil spills! We love this and the adorable photos of these poor babies all wrapped up in knitted goodness. It's life-saving cuteness. It's a reminder that small gestures can make a big impact. And honestly, if that doesn't spark joy - check your pulse.
How to get involved
On June 14th, there are No Kings events happening across the United States. Donald Trump wants tanks in the street, but we know the real power is in the people, not in fake egocentric spectacles. Find a No Kings event near you, gather 5 friends and get out in the streets.
Send a letter to your members of Congress, telling them to put families over billionaires.
Don't be confused by the noise. We have a tendency to let things slip in behind the scenes that have grave impact. Be educated and don't be afraid to ask questions.
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About this newsletter
This newsletter is posted by the We the Builders team and will be published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We stand for an effective government that serves its people and we won't rest until the government is rebuilt, and built better.