Trump pleads with Supreme Court to resume federal workforce reductions

The Trump administration has made an urgent plea to the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that has halted its efforts to implement widespread workforce reductions. US Solicitor General D. John Sauer criticized the lower court decision as “flawed” and argued that it is causing significant harm to the administration’s ability to carry out President Trump’s reforms.

In a petition to the high court, Sauer stated that the injunction preventing the workforce reductions is based on a mistaken belief that the President needs explicit authorization from Congress to make internal personnel decisions within the Executive Branch. He emphasized that the Constitution does not impose a presumption against presidential control of agency staffing and that the President has the authority to exercise his powers without special permission from Congress.

Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive order to drastically reduce the federal workforce, with key agencies like the Office of Personnel Management issuing specific instructions to implement the order. However, in February, a Northern District of California judge blocked the administration from carrying out mass reductions in force at 21 federal agencies, citing a lack of congressional approval.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently rejected a request from the Trump administration to overturn the lower court ruling, prompting the administration to turn to the Supreme Court for relief. Sauer argued that the lower court’s injunction exceeds judicial power and that Trump was acting within his legal authority when issuing the executive order.

The Trump administration has faced numerous legal challenges and universal injunctions from lower courts that have hindered the implementation of key policies. This latest petition marks the 18th emergency appeal to the Supreme Court during Trump’s second term. While the Supreme Court previously declined a petition in the same workforce reduction case, the administration is hopeful for a different outcome this time.

In addition to the workforce reduction case, the Supreme Court is also considering a case on birthright citizenship, which could impact the administration’s efforts to limit the power of lower courts to halt key actions. A decision on this case is expected soon, and it could have far-reaching implications for the administration’s ability to carry out its agenda.