A federal judge on May 22 extended her temporary block on President Donald Trump’s plans to carry out large-scale workforce reductions while a legal challenge plays out, saying his administration cannot restructure the government without the consent of Congress.
District Judge Susan Illston of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California agreed with a group of labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and local governments who have sued the administration, alleging Trump lacks authority to initiate the large-scale layoffs without Congress’ approval and that an injunction is in the public interest.
“Presidents may set policy priorities for the executive branch, and agency heads may implement them. This much is undisputed,” Illston wrote in an order granting the extension. “Agencies may not conduct large-scale reorganizations and reductions in force in blatant disregard of Congress’s mandates, and a president may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress.”…