Overview

• The Supreme Court issued a provisional decision permitting President Trump to fire Gwynne Wilcox and Cathy Harris, members of the NLRB and MSPB, respectively, pending further litigation.
• This decision temporarily overturns lower court rulings that upheld statutory protections preventing the removal of independent agency officials without cause.
• The Trump administration has argued that retaining these officials undermines the president’s ability to execute his policy objectives and control executive power.
• The legal dispute raises significant constitutional questions about the president's authority to dismiss independent agency members, potentially challenging the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent.
• The case is part of a broader effort by Trump to reshape federal agencies by downsizing the workforce and replacing officials with administration loyalists.