Van Hollen Statement on Supreme Court Paving the Way for Administration Plan for Mass Firings of Federal Workers

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s emergency ruling in AFGE v. Trump, giving the Trump Administration initial approval to carry out its plans to fire large swaths of the federal workforce:

“Without ruling on the merits, the Supreme Court just gave initial approval for the Trump Administration to move forward on indiscriminately firing thousands of federal workers and decimating essential public services that the American people rely on and that keep our communities safe – from Social Security to food inspections to severe weather forecasting to our diplomatic operations. As Justice Jackson put it in her dissent, ‘this was the wrong decision at the wrong moment, especially given what little this Court knows about what is actually happening on the ground.’ She is right. The Court’s decision to allow this damage to be done before ruling on the merits shows how detached they are from the reality of the moment. Make no mistake, the Trump Administration’s plan isn’t about efficiency, it’s about rigging the government to only benefit the wealthy and powerful special interests. We are not done fighting in Congress, in the courts, and in our communities to defend the dedicated public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people day in and day out.”