someone in his camp is smart/devious/slick enough to advise him to test his autocracy by skipping the rules on things that are already obvious before moving on to skip the rules on more dubious and unpalatable endeavors
I would liken it to testing the electric fences in different sectors like the velociraptors from Jurassic Park, starting with the sections that are hidden from cameras by bushes, before knocking down the ones out in the open.
While consulting Title 31 of the U.S. Code (to see how much annual penny minting was required by law), I came upon a statute outlining general instructions for the apportionment of American coins. “The Secretary of the Treasury shall,” Section 5111 reads, “mint and issue” denominations of coins “in amounts the Secretary decides are necessary to meet the needs of the United States.” I reread the sentence several times. Groping for a light switch in a bolted room, had my fingers brushed over the knob of an unlocked door? Amounts the Secretary decides are necessary. What if the secretary decided the amount of pennies necessary was zero?
I contacted Christine Desan, a Harvard law professor who specializes in the constitutional law of money. I asked what she made of Section 5111. “The way it reads to me as a lawyer,” Desan said, is that “there’s nothing in here that indicates the secretary has to issue them.”
Legislature could have done this, the issue hasn't crept up on us. Unforunately, the system is broken (it can't identify and get support for clear wins).
I agree that government is all about setting, following and self-modifying rules, but that takes cooperation.
The legislature hasn't attempted since John McCain, but he also wanted to replace 1 dollar bills with coins. Perhaps trying to make too many changes at once.
The discussion only resurfaced in 2023 when the US mint released a report about the high cost to produce pennies. No legislative efforts had been introduced since that report.
These initiatives are more about trying to assert absolute authority in people’s minds more than anything else.
By choosing something that people might agree with he is subtly getting the public to allow him to have unchecked authority in other areas.