Trump calls on Supreme Court to clear path for federal government downsizing plans
FILE-President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing in ceremony for U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro in the Oval Office of the White House on May 28, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The Trump administration is renewing a push for the Supreme Court to clear the way for plans to downside the federal government.
According to the Associated Press, the administration filed a ruling with the Supreme Court after an appeals court refused to freeze a California-based judge’s order to eliminate cuts to the government, which were led by the Department of Government Efficiency.
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U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled in May that Trump’s administration needs congressional approval to make reductions to the federal workforce.
What does this mean for Trump’s government downsizing plan?
Dig deeper:
The Trump administration first asked the Supreme Court justices to get involved in May but withdrew its appeal for legal reasons. According to the Associated Press, the latest filing is one in a series of emergency appeals contending that federal judges had overstepped their authority.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston's order directs numerous federal agencies to stop acting on President Donald Trump’s workforce executive order signed in February and a subsequent memo issued by DOGE and the Office of Personnel Management.
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The Associated Press reported that federal agencies impacted by the executive order include departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, the Interior, State, the Treasury and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.
How many federal workers have lost their jobs?
Why you should care:
Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, have left their jobs via deferred resignation programs, or have been placed on leave.
The Associated Press noted that there isn’t an official figure for the job cuts, but roughly 75,000 federal workers have taken deferred resignation, and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which offers background on the appeals court ruling on the Trump administration's attempt to downsize the government. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.