The US Supreme Court lifted a block on the White House’s plan to cut the federal workforce, likely giving the green light for firings.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order “eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity” in the government in February, ordering agencies to work with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and plan staff reductions. But a federal judge blocked the move, saying only Congress could reorganize the executive branch.
The SCOTUS decision only declares Trump’s executive order legal, and expresses “no view on the legality” of layoffs themselves, but is seen as paving the way for cutting jobs.
The court’s current iteration tends toward “judicial minimalism,” resolving cases only on the specific facts, rather than creating broader rules.