Judge Blocks HHS Layoffs Ordered by Trump Administration
A federal judge appointed by President Biden ruled on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump must halt extensive layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
US District Judge Melissa Dubose initially sought preliminary injunctions in May, which were granted to 19 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia, as reported by the Associated Press. This ruling affects employees terminated from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Tobacco Products Centers, among others.
“Administrative agencies do not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structures and functions of the institutions created by Congress,” Dubose stated in her decision.
Judge Dubose’s orders prevent the Trump administration from proceeding with layoffs or making other significant staffing changes. The Attorney General contended that such cuts and restructurings exceeded the agency’s authority.
According to the Associated Press, HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had eliminated more than 100,000 positions back in March, consolidating the number of agencies from 28 to 15. This downsizing has led to numerous layoffs across various agencies, including the CDC.
“The intended effect was… the wholesale elimination of many HHS programs that are essential to public health and safety,” the Attorney General argued in the lawsuit.
Kennedy noted on May 14 that the cuts were deemed necessary to reduce “confusion and overlap” within HHS.
This action marks the latest in a series of judicial interventions into Trump’s efforts to dismiss federal employees. Earlier in March, a judge appointed by former President Bill Clinton ordered six federal agencies to rehire thousands of workers who had been terminated, including those from the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Treasury.
Dubose’s ruling aligns with a US Supreme Court decision that indicated district judges overstepped their authority by issuing universal injunctions related to Trump’s executive orders.
