The US Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump to proceed with a massive federal layoff plan and reorganization of more than 15 government agencies, including the Health, Treasury and Veterans Affairs departments.
The decision contradicts a previous lower court order that had blocked the move, which is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of government workers.
A White House spokesman called the ruling an “absolute victory” and a strong testament to the president’s power to improve the efficiency of the federal government.
The court in its brief order said the Trump administration “likely will succeed” in arguing that the order is legally valid, although it has not yet made a final decision on the validity of the specific layoff plan.
However, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only one to dissent publicly, expressing concern about the court’s tendency to be too inclined to approve the president’s controversial actions.
The move also involves the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), previously led by Elon Musk, with the goal of shrinking the size of government and eliminating programs seen as wasteful.
Meanwhile, a coalition of labor unions and local governments called the decision a “huge blow to democracy” and vowed to continue challenging the action in court.
