Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow independent agency firings

The Trump administration on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, asked the Supreme Court to allow the firings of two members of independent federal agencies.

These agencies were set up specifically to avoid such political interference.

Trump’s administration argues that the president should have greater control over the dismissal of agency heads.

This request was part of an ongoing effort to challenge the structure of certain independent agencies.

The agencies are those that historically have had more autonomy from the executive branch to prevent undue political influence.

Trump wants to remove Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board, and Cathy Harris, a member of the Merit Systems Protection Board.

The Supreme Court previously upheld protections against members of independent agencies being removed without cause.

However, the current conservative majority has reversed course in recent cases.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the new filing:

“This case raises a constitutional question of profound importance: whether the President can supervise and control agency heads who exercise vast executive power on the President’s behalf, or whether Congress may insulate those agency heads from presidential control by preventing the President from removing them at will,”

Federal judges blocked the firings, citing a Supreme Court precedent dating back to 1935.

The court will now decide whether to allow the firings while the litigation continues over the bigger constitutional question.

The case stemmed from a legal dispute over the firing of officials at agencies like:

• the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and,
• the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

These agencies were designed to be independent from political interference

A policy put forward, to ensure that they could operate without pressure from the sitting president or other political forces.

In particular, the administration sought to weaken the protections that shielded leaders of certain independent agencies from being fired at will.

These protections are in place to maintain their independence and ensure decisions are made based on policy, not political influence.

The Trump administration argued that this structure violated the Constitution’s separation of powers.

It also argued that the president, as the head of the executive branch, should be able to remove officials from independent agencies when deemed necessary.

The request to the Supreme Court was part of a broader legal and political battle over the balance of power between the president and independent agencies.

The outcome of the case could have significant implications for the structure and functioning of U.S. government agencies.

It could also have significant implications on the ability of presidents to exercise control over them.

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