Supreme Court ruling on Trump administration's ability to fire federal agency head

SOURCE www.npr.org
The U.S. Supreme Court did not interfere with a lower court decision that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing the head of a federal agency. The dispute arose when Trump fired Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of the Special Counsel, an independent agency charged with protecting federal employees' rights. The Supreme Court held the matter in abeyance until Feb. 26, when the lower court's ruling is set to expire.

Key Points

  • The Trump administration sought to fire Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of the Special Counsel, but a lower court temporarily blocked the firing
  • The Supreme Court decided not to interfere with the lower court's ruling, holding the matter in abeyance until Feb. 26
  • This case raises questions about the president's power to determine agency heads

Pros

  • Protection of agency heads from arbitrary firing

Cons

  • Delay in decision-making process