Opinion
LINN: Transferring Agencies In The Federal Government

The following is a list of agencies that can be transferred from one executive department to another executive department.
- Department of Agriculture
- Transfer the Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wildlife Damage Management, and Wildlife Services to the Department of the Interior.
- Transfer the Rural Development Service, Rural Housing Service, and Rural Utilities Service to the Department of Housing & Urban Development (to be renamed the Department of Housing & Development).
- Transfer the Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs to the Department of Commerce.
- Acquire the Bureau of Alcohol & Tobacco from the Department of Justice.
Department of Commerce
- Transfer the Bureau of the Census to the Department of Housing & Urban Development (to be renamed Housing & Development).
- Transfer the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration to the Department of the Interior.
- Acquire the Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs from the Department of Agriculture.
Department of Health & Human Services
- Acquire the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the Department of Homeland Security.
- Department of Homeland Security
- To be placed under the Department of Justice, exceptions being the Federal Emergency Management Agency being transferred to the Department of Health & Human Services, the United States Coast Guard being transferred to the Department of War, and the Transportation Security Administration being
abolished (and being replaced by private security companies).
Department of Housing & Urban Development
- To be renamed the Department of Housing & Development.
- Acquire the Rural Development Service, Rural Housing Service, and Rural Utilities Service from the Department of Agriculture.
Acquire the Bureau of the Census from the Department of Commerce.
Department of Justice
- Acquire the Department of Homeland Security except for the United States Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Transportation Security Agency.
- The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall be abolished and replaced by their predecessor (the Immigration & Naturalization Service), and the duty of customs enforcement shall be transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Enforcement should be divided into a Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco (which shall be transferred to the Department of Agriculture) and a Firearms Enforcement Division (which shall be transferred to the FBI).
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation would acquire the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Department of the Interior
- Acquire the Forest Service, Natural Resources & Environment, Wildlife Damage Management, and Wildlife Services from the Department of Agriculture.
- Acquire the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration from the Department of Commerce.
Department of Veterans Affairs
- To be placed under the Department of War.
Department of War
- Acquire the United States Coast Guard from the Department of Homeland Security.
Acquire the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In addition, the Department of State can acquire the Open World Leadership Center from the Legislative Branch, while the Department of Education and the Department of Energy can be eliminated.
Such changes are not only logical, but will also reduce the national debt.