The panel ruled that the government is likely to succeed in the case.
A panel of the District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed an injunction from a district court that required President Donald Trump’s administration to rehire workers from the Voice of America (VOA) and U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). While Judge Royce Lamberth had ruled that the employees must be reinstated during the case, the circuit panel stated that the government was likely to succeed in the case.
The majority wrote, “While USAGM’s employees and contractors might have viable, discrete claims with respect to their individual personnel actions, those claims must be pursued through other remedial channels.” The ruling highlighted that “the district court likely lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to enjoin… personnel action and to compel the agency to restore… grants.”
The panel continued, citing precedent, “We have long held that federal employees may not use the Administrative Procedure Act to challenge agency employment actions,” adding, “Congress has instead established comprehensive statutory schemes for adjudicating employment disputes with the federal government.”
This creates additional uncertainty for employees who were notified by the Justice Department late last week that they were allowed to return to VOA after work being halted for almost two months.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For district and circuit court judges to interpret the law and legal precedents with discernment.
- For President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and other administration officials as they seek to streamline the government and reduce wasteful spending.
Sources: The Hill, MSN, CourtListener.com, USCourts.cadc.gov, PJ Media
