Trump’s Top Team Sets Stage for White House Power Grab

President-elect looks to bypass federal institutions to install nominees and shrink government

President-elect Donald Trump has insisted that senators allow him to place some nominees directly in their jobs, bypassing the confirmation process. Photo: Alex Brandon/Associated Press

WASHINGTON—In naming a set of unconventional nominees to run federal departments, Donald Trump this week also took steps to push for a broader goal: realigning the balance of power among Washington’s major institutions so that more authority flows from the White House.

Trump has threatened to take steps that would undermine the Senate’s confirmation powers and Congress’s role in budgeting—the most essential powers of the two chambers. He has insisted that senators allow him to place some nominees directly in their jobs, bypassing the Senate’s public hearings and confirmation process. He has said he would move to impound—or decline to spend—money appropriated by Congress for programs he dislikes, a step likely requiring him to overturn current law in court.