Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'


What happened
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) Tuesday joined Democrats in pushing back against President Donald Trump's effort to install his own leadership team at the Library of Congress, which is part of the legislative branch. Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden last week and Shira Perlmutter, head of the U.S. Copyright Office, over the weekend. But the Justice Department officials he named as their replacements have been rebuffed at the Library of Congress, with congressional support.
Who said what
Congress' quiet resistance to the president's "attempt to exert control" over "the legislative branch's premier research body" is a "rare bipartisan effort to defend its institutional authority" from Trump, The Washington Post said. On Monday, Trump named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a close ally and his former personal lawyer, as acting librarian of Congress, but lawmakers said Hayden's deputy, Robert Newlen, was still in charge for now.
Library of Congress employees on Monday turned away two Trump appointees seeking to take over the Copyright Office. "For the time being, the acting librarian is the acting librarian," Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.), the top Rules Committee Democrat, said Tuesday, and Trump's people "seem to be respecting that."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Thune told reporters that Trump administration officials met with the Senate Rules Committee and "we made it clear that there needs to be a consultation around this" and congressional "equities" must be respected and protected. "It's the Library of Congress, not the library of the executive branch," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
What next?
The implications of Trump "installing a close ally as librarian of Congress could be far-reaching," above and beyond separation-of-powers concerns, The Associated Press said. The librarian, for example, could see and pass on confidential "requests made by lawmakers to the Congressional Research Service" for analysis on legislation. And some conservatives were as worried as Democrats that Elon Musk's DOGE team would siphon up the library's vast trove of copyrighted works to train AI, a move Perlmutter warned would be illicit in a report released days before Trump fired her.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
5 horror movies to sweat out this summer
The Week Recommends A sequel, a reboot and a follow up from the director of 'Barbarian' highlight the upcoming scary movie slate
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
'We need solutions that prioritize both safety and sustainability'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'We need solutions that prioritize both safety and sustainability'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
A running list of all the celebrities Trump has pardoned
IN DEPTH Reality stars, rappers and disgraced politicians have received some of the high-profile pardons doled out by the president
-
'The pattern is similar across America'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges