Agreed, exactly the point I was thinking to make -- Constitutionally the President already controls these groups, or should.

I believe Gato's corollary point is the key: get rid of them outright. You can't trim them back, it's like removing part of a tumor. You have to kill the entire thing. Every agency that is not authorized in the Constitution should go. Either the President can kill them -- fire everyone -- or Congress can defund them. Maybe both; but the President is not obligated to spend Congressional appropriations. These agencies exist at the whim of both Congress and the President, either can kill them.

George Washington had four cabinet ministers, one for each of the Constitutionally authorized federal powers: Attorney General, Treasury, State, and War (now called Defense).

Treasury can be cut way back - eliminating the IRS - by switching to a national sales tax on all (100%) goods and services, no exceptions, like the Fair Tax. No other federal taxes -- NONE. Collected by the states as they do today; the few states with no sales tax will probably change over with no federal income tax infrastructure to lean on. Pay when you buy and that's it -- no audits, statute of limitation, etc.