Array
The Post’s panel of experts weigh in on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ entry into the presidential race, and what he promises — or needs to do — on various issues:DRAINING THE SWAMP
Andrew C. McCarthy is a former federal prosecutor
The most impressive part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rollout was his discussion of the administrative state and the need to push back against governance by abusive, unaccountable bureaucrats.
DeSantis demonstrated impressive command of the Constitution’s structure: Law is supposed to be made by Congress, which answers to the voters, but legislative power has been steadily usurped by executive agencies, resulting in regulatory creep that has eroded property rights and liberty generally.
In Florida, DeSantis was a model of standing athwart suffocating bureaucrats, even as then-President Donald Trump deferred to them in the COVID crisis.
We desperately need that in Washington.
DeSantis also had a good grasp on the trajectory of Supreme Court jurisprudence in this area — predicting that the justices would cut back on legal doctrines that endow administrative agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, with too much power.
Sure enough, the morning after the governor’s announcement of his candidacy, the court issued a critical ruling that reins in the EPA’s regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act — just as it did last year with respect to the Clean Air Act.
Finally, DeSantis did not mince words about the imperative of addressing the FBI’s dizzying array of abuses in recent years.
Personally, though many disagree, I do not believe FBI Director Christopher Wray is one of the more culpable players in that saga; but it is Wray’s job to fix the problems and the problems persist — he’s failed in that sense.
DeSantis made clear that, as president, he’d appoint a new director who would hopefully have eight years under DeSantis and a strong attorney general to make big, necessary changes.WIDE OPEN ON THE ECONOMY
Ike Brannon is a senior fellow at the Jack Kemp Foundation and has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns
There’s little benefit to a candidate in providing much in the way of specific economic policies, and since today’s GOP has an increasing number of populists who have little regard for the party’s traditional limited-government stance, a lack of specifics is even more prudent.
Where DeSantis has spoken on a hot-button policy, he has largely avoided saying anything controversial.
For instance, while he voted to increase the retirement age for Social Security from 67 to 70 as a member of Congress, he has rejected any change to benefits as governor, which is in line with Donald Trump’s statements on the issue.
DeSantis voted for the 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which cut corporate tax rates and individual rates.
