Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration's Federal Reorganization Plan

Federal Judge Halts Government Reorganization Plan

In a significant legal development, a federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked a controversial federal government restructuring initiative. This action poses a substantial challenge to the current administration's efforts to reshape federal operations without the input of Congress.

The lawsuit, titled AFGE v. Trump, claims that the administration's ongoing reorganization breaches the Constitution's separation of powers by proceeding without legislative consent. The case is backed by a diverse coalition of organizations and municipalities.

The plaintiffs in the case encompass a broad array of groups, including:

• The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and several AFGE locals;
• AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees);
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and SEIU Local 1000;
• Alliance for Retired Americans;
• American Geophysical Union;
• American Public Health Association;
• Center for Taxpayer Rights;
• Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks;
• Common Defense;
• Main Street Alliance;
• Natural Resources Defense Council;
• Northeast Organic Farming Association Inc.;
• VoteVets;
• Western Watersheds Project;
• City and County of San Francisco;
• County of Santa Clara, California;
• City of Chicago;
• City of Baltimore;
• Harris County, Texas;
• and King County, Washington.

Legal representation for the coalition is provided by Democracy Forward, Altshuler Berzon LLP, Protect Democracy, Public Rights Project, and the Democracy Defenders Fund.

The coalition released a statement expressing concern over the administration's actions: “The Trump administration’s unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation. Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government — laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that. We are gratified by the court’s decision today to pause these harmful actions while our case proceeds.”

Read more about the lawsuit by accessing the complaint and the temporary restraining order.

AFSCME's Campaign Against Federal Cuts

AFSCME continues its efforts to combat federal budget cuts through its Get Organized campaign. This initiative focuses on raising awareness about the implications of these proposed changes and aims to protect vital programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security from potential threats posed by policy shifts.