Obama-Appointed Judge Hands Donald Trump A Legal Victory
Story by Mandy Taheri
U.S. District Judge Christopher “Casey” Cooper ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump’s administration’s mass firings of federal employees can proceed for now, ruling against several unions representing federal employees.
Why It Matters
Since taking office a month ago, Trump has enacted a slew of broad reforms through executive actions, including the mass firing of various federal workers.
He has pledged to dramatically reduce federal costs and shrink the government workforce, mainly through the White House task force known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is being helmed by billionaire Elon Musk.
Some Democrats and Trump critics have warned of a looming “constitutional crisis,” accusing Trump of overstepping presidential authority and disregarding legal constraints. The administration has faced a flurry of lawsuits, with this latest ruling marking a victory for the administration.
What To Know
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents federal employees across 36 departments and agencies, the National Federation of Federal Employees and three other unions sued to block the mass firings, arguing they would reduce dues revenue from members. They filed the lawsuit on February 12.
Newsweek has reached out to the legal representatives for the plaintiffs and defendants.
The ruling, by Judge Cooper, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013, is a setback for the unions. He ruled that the court “likely lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear” the claims, according to the court documents reviewed by Newsweek.
He ordered that the claims “must instead be brought before the Federal Labor Relations Authority.”
So, the unions are arguing that employees can’t be fired because it would reduce the amount of union dues collected? Since when are we taxpayers obligated to see that union dues are paid? The democrats have done all they can to do away with right-to-work laws and force union membership because they are owned by the unions BUT, to say that the taxpayers have an obligation to put up with unneeded workers so that the unions can collect their dues is just too damn much!