Photo: Abaca Press
The US Federal Court of Appeals upheld the ban on mass layoffs in government agencies initiated by former President Donald Trump. Thus, Trump’s attempt to drastically reduce the staff of government agencies has again failed, CNN reports.
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled by a majority vote (2 to 1) that Trump’s directives “far exceed the president’s constitutional authority”. The judges stated that the plaintiffs, including trade unions and local governments, have a good chance of winning the case on the merits.
The court of first instance had already blocked these initiatives on 9 May, stating that such a large-scale restructuring of government agencies is impossible without the approval of Congress. We are talking about the so-called “reductions in force” (RIF), which covered almost all key departments, including the ministries of defence, energy, health, justice and interior.
According to the court’s decision, neither the president nor his subordinate agencies – such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) – have the right to implement such reforms without the approval of legislators.
Representatives of the coalition of organisations that challenged Trump’s decision welcomed the court’s decision, calling it a victory for the civil service and the principle of checks and balances.
