Tony Romm

Washington, D.C.

Economic policy and accountability reporter.

Education: American University, BA in Journalism

Tony Romm is the economic policy and accountability reporter at The Washington Post, where he traces the impact of federal law on people’s lives. His work aims to answer questions that are often overlooked in the nation's capital: What happens after a bill is approved in Congress and signed at the White House? Are its loftiest goals achieved? Or do its promising policies and pots of taxpayer cash get snagged on the rocks of waste, fraud and bureaucratic inertia? Romm previously served as the newspaper's congressional economic policy reporter, chronicling the oft-fraught debates over issues i
Latest from Tony Romm

Elon Musk wants to ‘delete’ federal financial watchdog as ‘DOGE’ begins work

“Delete CFPB,” Elon Musk, the billionaire tech executive running the “Department of Government Efficiency,” said in an early-morning post on X.

November 27, 2024
Elon Musk, chief executive of X and Tesla, arrives for a Senate hearing on Sept. 13, 2023.

Crypto leaders press Trump to create federal bitcoin reserve

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for the bitcoin idea, which some economists see as inflationary and costly, depending on its implementation.

November 27, 2024

Trump and GOP eye new limits on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are weighing vast changes to the CFPB that could limit its powers and funding.

November 23, 2024
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in Washington.

Top federal watchdog announces new oversight of tech giants

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could soon closely monitor payment systems run by Google, Apple and Venmo.

November 21, 2024
Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, introduces President Joe Biden at an event at the White House on March 5, 2024. (Gabriella Demczuk for The Washington Post)

Trump seeks new candidates for treasury secretary

Trump's transition team is searching for a new treasury secretary candidate amid a deadlock between the two front-runners.

November 18, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump attends the America First Policy Institute Gala at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.

CFPB looks to place Google under federal supervision, setting up clash

The CFPB aims to conduct more rigorous direct oversight of the tech firm, a major move that Google has resisted in the final months of the Biden administration.

November 14, 2024
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in Washington, D.C., on May 14, 2021.

Trump eyes pro-crypto candidates for key federal financial agencies

The incoming administration has explored new personnel and policy that can deliver on Trump’s campaign promise to turn the U.S. into the “crypto capital of the planet.”

November 11, 2024
Donald Trump reacts at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville in July. After winning the presidency again, Trump is moving to make the federal government more friendly to cryptocurrency.

Crypto cash helps propel Trump, other allies to 2024 election victory

Many of the Democrats and Republicans backed by a trio of new crypto super PACs won their races Tuesday, illustrating the industry’s political ascendance.

November 6, 2024
Donald Trump, shown at a speech at the 2024 Bitcoin Conference in Nashville in July, was once a skeptic of bitcoin but has become a supporter, drawing contributions from the industry.

Meta discloses federal probe into its use of financial data for ads

The social-networking giant said in a securities filing that it is under investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

October 31, 2024

Musk’s plan to cut $2 trillion in U.S. spending could bring economic turmoil

Deep budget cuts would be required to meet the billionaire Trump supporter’s goal. He appeared to acknowledge some risks on Tuesday.

October 29, 2024
Elon Musk at Madison Square Garden in New York during a rally for Donald Trump on Sunday.