The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court order blocking mass firings at federal agencies.
Administration attorneys filed an emergency appeal Monday of an order last week by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals that kept on hold Trump's sweeping reductions in force as part of his plans to dramatically reshape the federal government, reported CNN.
“Controlling the personnel of federal agencies lies at the heartland” of the president’s authority, argued U.S. solicitor General John Sauer told the Supreme Court in the appeal. “The Constitution does not erect a presumption against presidential control of agency staffing, and the president does not need special permission from Congress to exercise” his core constitutional powers.
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The layoffs were challenged by more than a dozen unions, non-profits and local governments, and the administration has asked the Supreme Court to step in once before, but the Department of Justice withdrew its appeal a short time later after a federal district court issued a stronger against the job cuts.
The 9th Circuit panel ruled 2-1 against the president's executive order, finding his move far exceeded his "supervisory powers under the Constitution," and concluded the challengers were likely to succeed.
Trump signed the order in February requiring agencies to file reorganization plans, but unions complained the details about those plans have not been shared.
At least 121,000 federal workers have already been laid off or targeted for layoffs since Trump returned to the White House in January, but that figure doesn't include workers placed on administrative leave or those who took voluntary buyouts.
