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Judge Blocks Admin From Firing Workers 10/16 06:03
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's
administration from firing workers during the government shutdown, saying the
cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without
much thought.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked
President Donald Trump's administration from firing workers during the
government shutdown, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and
were being carried out without much thought.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco repeatedly pressed the
assistant U.S. attorney to explain the administration's rationale for the more
than 4,100 layoff notices that started going out Friday even though furloughed
workers can not access their work emails and there are no human resources
specialists to assist with next steps.
"It's very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a
human cost," she said. "It's a human cost that cannot be tolerated."
She granted a temporary restraining order blocking the job cuts, saying she
believed the evidence would ultimately show the cuts were illegal and in excess
of authority.
Asked for comment, the White House referred The Associated Press to the
Office of Management and Budget. The budget office did not immediately respond
to a request for comment.
The American Federation of Government Employees and other federal labor
unions had asked Illston to block the administration from issuing new layoff
notices and implementing those that were already sent out. The unions said the
firings were an abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress.
"The president seems to think his government shutdown is distracting people
from the harmful and lawlessness actions of his administration, but the
American people are holding him accountable, including in the courts," said
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of legal organization Democracy Forward. "Our
civil servants do the work of the people, and playing games with their
livelihoods is cruel and unlawful and a threat to everyone in our nation."
Illston's order came as the shutdown, which started Oct. 1, entered its
third week.
Democratic lawmakers are demanding that any deal to reopen the federal
government address their health care demands. Republican House Speaker Mike
Johnson predicted the shutdown may become the longest in history, saying he
"won't negotiate" with Democrats until they hit pause on those demands and
reopen.
Democrats have demanded that health care subsidies, first put in place in
2021 and extended a year later, be extended again. They also want any
government funding bill to reverse the Medicaid cuts in Trump's big tax breaks
and spending cuts bill passed this summer.
The Trump administration has been paying the military and pursuing its
crackdown on immigration while slashing jobs in health and education, including
in special education and after-school programs. Trump said programs favored by
Democrats are being targeted and "they're never going to come back, in many
cases."
In a court filing, the administration said it planned to fire more than
4,100 employees across eight agencies.
In a related case, Illston had blocked the administration from carrying out
much of its plans to reduce the size of the federal workforce. But the Supreme
Court said the administration could continue firing workers while the lawsuit
is pending.
The unions say the layoff notices are an illegal attempt at political
pressure and retribution and are based on the false premise that a temporary
funding lapse eliminates Congress' authorization of agency programs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hedges said in court Wednesday that the
district court lacks jurisdiction to hear employment decisions made by federal
agencies. Under prodding by the judge, Hedges said she was not prepared to
discuss the merits of the case, only reasons why a temporary restraining order
should not be issued.
Illston was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, a
Democrat.
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