Federal Appeals Court Overturns Decision, Halts Trump Administration Job Terminations – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
8:19 AM – Monday, April 7, 2025
A federal appeals court changed its stance on Monday, overturning a prior ruling that permitted President Donald Trump to dismiss leaders from two independent agencies.
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In a 7-4 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit nullified a ruling from a three-judge panel that had previously favored the Trump administration last month, which had enabled Trump to remove Merit Systems Protection Board member Cathy Harris and National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox.
This Monday ruling allows Harris and Wilcox to potentially resume their positions, at least temporarily, although the Trump administration has the option to file an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.
The cases serve as a crucial examination of a 90-year-old Supreme Court precedent regarding removal limitations for multi-member independent agency boards, which has recently been reduced. The majority in the D.C. Circuit highlighted that it is the Supreme Court’s responsibility to determine whether to overturn its own ruling, but lower courts must abide by it in the meantime.
“The Supreme Court has consistently instructed the courts of appeals to adhere to existing Supreme Court precedent unless and until the Court itself alters or nullifies it,” the court’s unsigned order stated.
Harris and Wilcox filed lawsuits against the Trump administration after they were abruptly dismissed from their posts. The relevant legislation stipulates that firings must be substantiated by “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”
The Supreme Court determined that the dismissals were unlawful, affirming Congress’s authority to protect certain officials from being terminated without just cause, such as wrongdoing.
Trump has asserted that this law constrains his ability to manage the executive branch effectively.
Judge Naomi Rao, one of the dissenting judges, criticized the court for hastily reinstating “Harris and Wilcox” and noted that all seven judges in the majority were appointed by Democratic presidents.
“In endorsing the district court’s unusual injunctions and seeking to reinstate principal officers dismissed by the president, the majority risks provoking a conflict between this court and the executive branch,” Judge Rao remarked.
For now, Monday’s decision is temporary. The case will revert to a three-judge S.C. Circuit panel for a conclusive ruling regarding the legality of the dismissals. However, the Trump administration may seek immediate intervention from the Supreme Court on its emergency docket during this period.
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