The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed President Trump a major victory, ruling 6-3 that presidents have broad authority to remove Senate-confirmed leaders of executive branch agencies. The decision overturns a 91-year-old precedent that allowed Congress to limit a president’s firing power to cases involving “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”
In a separate 5-4 decision, however, the Court declined to immediately back Trump’s effort to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook The justices sent the case back to a lower court, allowing Cook to remain in her position while the legal challenge continues.
The ruling does not bar Trump from ultimately removing Cook, but it rejects the administration’s argument that courts have little authority to review such a decision. The outcome temporarily preserves the Federal Reserve’s independence as litigation moves forward.
