WASHINGTON — A package of bills that Democrats hope will curb any future Trump-like presidents passed the House Thursday, advancing measures that could stand as a legacy to departing Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
The bills aim to shield the U.S. Census from White House manipulation, protect federal workers who blow the whistle on renegade administrations, and prevent presidents from easily removing career civil service in favor of political appointees.
The Census bill in particular has been a focus for Maloney, whose office raised concerns early in Donald Trump’s presidency about how his administration was preparing for the decennial count of Americans. Among other things, Trump’s commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, attempted to add a citizenship question to the survey outside of the normal process.
