While the specifics of the Administration’s proposed reorganization of the Commerce Department remain ethereal (outside of this fact sheet), speculation of other reorganizations continues.
The move of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the Interior Department remains speculative, based on references the President has made about how President Nixon opted not to place the agency with Interior out of political spite. But I’ve seen no details about whether the agency would be moved in total, or if it might be carved up like the Administration seeks to do with the Commerce Department. There is a quote attributed to the current acting Office of Management and Budget chief that the ‘whole of NOAA’ would move to Interior, but I want to see it in writing.
The newest speculation is also not so new, but given new attention from the Commerce proposal. Food Safety News is reporting (second-hand) that the second proposed reorganization would actually be consolidating the food safety activities in the Department of Agriculture with those at the Food and Drug Administration (H/T The Atlantic). This idea has been floated before, as recently as this Government Accountability Office report from 2011. As Marion Nestle notes, not everyone is keen on moving stuff out of the Department of Agriculture, even though it’s food promotion efforts give at least the appearance of a conflict with food safety responsibilities.
Not everyone is keen on the proposal to move NOAA to Interior, either. The reasons cited demonstrate not only that it’s easier to create than destroy in Washington, but that what makes some administrative sense doesn’t account for resource concerns.
