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Hundreds of people demonstrate in Los Angeles to protest President Trump's policies on April 19, 2025.
"Americans did not vote for a power grab, nor did they vote for a federal government so hollowed out it cannot deliver the services we all rely on," said one advocate.
U.S. President Donald Trump's dismantling of federal agencies and government programs has been a centerpiece of his second-term agenda, but as labor unions and nonprofits launched a legal challenge Monday against the president's attacks, they emphasized how the lawsuit reflects widespread public disapproval of Trump's tactics.
"Enough, already—Americans did not vote for a power grab, nor did they vote for a federal government so hollowed out it cannot deliver the services we all rely on," said Michael Wall, chief litigation officer for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of nearly two dozen organizations in a coalition that filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The groups said the suit is the "largest and most significant challenge to Trump's authority to remake the government without congressional approval."
The lawsuit was filed days after a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that only 35% of Americans approve of tech billionaire Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration, in which he has led the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and spearheaded efforts to dismantle agencies including the Department of Education and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cut more than 280,000 jobs, and use government data to advance baseless claims about fraud in federal programs like Social Security—supporting Republicans' push to privatize the crucial anti-poverty program.
Fifty-seven percent said they disapprove of how DOGE has proceeded, up from 49% in February.
The long list of plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Monday reflect Trump's wide-scale attack on public services, with the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, the Western Watershed Project, and the Alliance for Retired Americans joining three of the country's largest labor unions and several local governments in arguing that Trump lacks the authority to reorganize the government without congressional approval.
The coalition, which also includes the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is calling on the court to intervene to stop the implementation of Trump's Executive Order 14210, titled "Implementing the President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Workforce Optimization Initiative."
The order violates the U.S. Constitution's separation of powers principles, the coalition is arguing.
"The Trump administration's reckless attempt to dismantle our government without congressional approval threatens vital services Americans depend on every day—from caring for veterans and safeguarding public health, to protecting our environment and maintaining national security," said AFGE national president Everett Kelley. "This illegal power grab would gut federal agencies, disrupt communities nationwide, and put critical public services at risk. AFGE is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with this coalition to protect not just the patriotic public servants we represent, but the integrity of American government and the essential services that our nation deserves."
A federal judge in Maryland last month barred DOGE from taking "any actions relating" to USAID and said Musk had likely acted unconstitutionally by moving to shut down the international aid agency, and another judge temporarily blocked the advisory body from accessing sensitive data, but several federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have declined to rein in DOGE.
The coalition said the filing made clear that Congress must approve any president's efforts to remake the government.
"When the president takes for himself the legislative power of Congress to recreate federal agencies in the manner he sees fit, he violates the Constitution," reads the lawsuit, which cited Supreme Court cases including Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer and Bowsher v. Synar. "And when the president does so across every federal agency, he threatens the very constitutional foundation of this nation: 'There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person.' ... Thus, for nearly 100 years, when presidents have wanted to restructure the government by reorganizing both between and within federal agencies, they have obtained congressional authorization to do so."
Democracy Forward, which is representing the coalition, said "the impact of the reckless decisions that have been made in an attempt to unlawfully reorganize the federal government without Congress and is being felt in communities across our nation, in red states and blue states."
Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, said the coalition was "filing this lawsuit to challenge the hostile takeover of government by billionaires and anti-union extremists."
"From the mass firings of federal employees to effectively shutting down agencies formed by Congress, this White House has repeatedly broken the law and violated the Constitution to advance their extremist Project 2025 agenda," said Saunders. "Working people deserve to know the public services they depend on will be delivered—that their food will be safe to eat and drinking water clean, that kids in school will have the resources they need to thrive, and that our communities will be able to fight public health epidemics. All these things and more are at stake if this power grab goes unchecked."
The Alliance for Retired Americans said Trump's attacks have threatened senior citizens' "right to the guaranteed benefits they have earned as well as to a fully staffed, well-functioning Social Security Administration," while Phil Francis, chair of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, said the loss of about 1,500 National Park Service staffers is "making an already dire situation at many national parks and program offices far worse."
"The people who have been removed by this administration help to ensure our parks are safe and accessible, and our irreplaceable resources are protected for future generations," said Francis. "Additional mass firings mean safety at parks could be compromised and visitors should expect longer lines, reduced hours of operation at facilities, trails that are not maintained, limited access to some park amenities, and far fewer park rangers to help ensure they have a safe and memorable visit to their national parks."
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said "the size and breadth of the coalition behind this case demonstrates the wide-ranging implications of the president's unlawful behavior."
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
U.S. President Donald Trump's dismantling of federal agencies and government programs has been a centerpiece of his second-term agenda, but as labor unions and nonprofits launched a legal challenge Monday against the president's attacks, they emphasized how the lawsuit reflects widespread public disapproval of Trump's tactics.
"Enough, already—Americans did not vote for a power grab, nor did they vote for a federal government so hollowed out it cannot deliver the services we all rely on," said Michael Wall, chief litigation officer for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of nearly two dozen organizations in a coalition that filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The groups said the suit is the "largest and most significant challenge to Trump's authority to remake the government without congressional approval."
The lawsuit was filed days after a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that only 35% of Americans approve of tech billionaire Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration, in which he has led the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and spearheaded efforts to dismantle agencies including the Department of Education and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cut more than 280,000 jobs, and use government data to advance baseless claims about fraud in federal programs like Social Security—supporting Republicans' push to privatize the crucial anti-poverty program.
Fifty-seven percent said they disapprove of how DOGE has proceeded, up from 49% in February.
The long list of plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Monday reflect Trump's wide-scale attack on public services, with the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, the Western Watershed Project, and the Alliance for Retired Americans joining three of the country's largest labor unions and several local governments in arguing that Trump lacks the authority to reorganize the government without congressional approval.
The coalition, which also includes the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is calling on the court to intervene to stop the implementation of Trump's Executive Order 14210, titled "Implementing the President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Workforce Optimization Initiative."
The order violates the U.S. Constitution's separation of powers principles, the coalition is arguing.
"The Trump administration's reckless attempt to dismantle our government without congressional approval threatens vital services Americans depend on every day—from caring for veterans and safeguarding public health, to protecting our environment and maintaining national security," said AFGE national president Everett Kelley. "This illegal power grab would gut federal agencies, disrupt communities nationwide, and put critical public services at risk. AFGE is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with this coalition to protect not just the patriotic public servants we represent, but the integrity of American government and the essential services that our nation deserves."
A federal judge in Maryland last month barred DOGE from taking "any actions relating" to USAID and said Musk had likely acted unconstitutionally by moving to shut down the international aid agency, and another judge temporarily blocked the advisory body from accessing sensitive data, but several federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have declined to rein in DOGE.
The coalition said the filing made clear that Congress must approve any president's efforts to remake the government.
"When the president takes for himself the legislative power of Congress to recreate federal agencies in the manner he sees fit, he violates the Constitution," reads the lawsuit, which cited Supreme Court cases including Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer and Bowsher v. Synar. "And when the president does so across every federal agency, he threatens the very constitutional foundation of this nation: 'There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person.' ... Thus, for nearly 100 years, when presidents have wanted to restructure the government by reorganizing both between and within federal agencies, they have obtained congressional authorization to do so."
Democracy Forward, which is representing the coalition, said "the impact of the reckless decisions that have been made in an attempt to unlawfully reorganize the federal government without Congress and is being felt in communities across our nation, in red states and blue states."
Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, said the coalition was "filing this lawsuit to challenge the hostile takeover of government by billionaires and anti-union extremists."
"From the mass firings of federal employees to effectively shutting down agencies formed by Congress, this White House has repeatedly broken the law and violated the Constitution to advance their extremist Project 2025 agenda," said Saunders. "Working people deserve to know the public services they depend on will be delivered—that their food will be safe to eat and drinking water clean, that kids in school will have the resources they need to thrive, and that our communities will be able to fight public health epidemics. All these things and more are at stake if this power grab goes unchecked."
The Alliance for Retired Americans said Trump's attacks have threatened senior citizens' "right to the guaranteed benefits they have earned as well as to a fully staffed, well-functioning Social Security Administration," while Phil Francis, chair of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, said the loss of about 1,500 National Park Service staffers is "making an already dire situation at many national parks and program offices far worse."
"The people who have been removed by this administration help to ensure our parks are safe and accessible, and our irreplaceable resources are protected for future generations," said Francis. "Additional mass firings mean safety at parks could be compromised and visitors should expect longer lines, reduced hours of operation at facilities, trails that are not maintained, limited access to some park amenities, and far fewer park rangers to help ensure they have a safe and memorable visit to their national parks."
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said "the size and breadth of the coalition behind this case demonstrates the wide-ranging implications of the president's unlawful behavior."
U.S. President Donald Trump's dismantling of federal agencies and government programs has been a centerpiece of his second-term agenda, but as labor unions and nonprofits launched a legal challenge Monday against the president's attacks, they emphasized how the lawsuit reflects widespread public disapproval of Trump's tactics.
"Enough, already—Americans did not vote for a power grab, nor did they vote for a federal government so hollowed out it cannot deliver the services we all rely on," said Michael Wall, chief litigation officer for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of nearly two dozen organizations in a coalition that filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The groups said the suit is the "largest and most significant challenge to Trump's authority to remake the government without congressional approval."
The lawsuit was filed days after a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that only 35% of Americans approve of tech billionaire Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration, in which he has led the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and spearheaded efforts to dismantle agencies including the Department of Education and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cut more than 280,000 jobs, and use government data to advance baseless claims about fraud in federal programs like Social Security—supporting Republicans' push to privatize the crucial anti-poverty program.
Fifty-seven percent said they disapprove of how DOGE has proceeded, up from 49% in February.
The long list of plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Monday reflect Trump's wide-scale attack on public services, with the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, the Western Watershed Project, and the Alliance for Retired Americans joining three of the country's largest labor unions and several local governments in arguing that Trump lacks the authority to reorganize the government without congressional approval.
The coalition, which also includes the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), is calling on the court to intervene to stop the implementation of Trump's Executive Order 14210, titled "Implementing the President's 'Department of Government Efficiency' Workforce Optimization Initiative."
The order violates the U.S. Constitution's separation of powers principles, the coalition is arguing.
"The Trump administration's reckless attempt to dismantle our government without congressional approval threatens vital services Americans depend on every day—from caring for veterans and safeguarding public health, to protecting our environment and maintaining national security," said AFGE national president Everett Kelley. "This illegal power grab would gut federal agencies, disrupt communities nationwide, and put critical public services at risk. AFGE is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with this coalition to protect not just the patriotic public servants we represent, but the integrity of American government and the essential services that our nation deserves."
A federal judge in Maryland last month barred DOGE from taking "any actions relating" to USAID and said Musk had likely acted unconstitutionally by moving to shut down the international aid agency, and another judge temporarily blocked the advisory body from accessing sensitive data, but several federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have declined to rein in DOGE.
The coalition said the filing made clear that Congress must approve any president's efforts to remake the government.
"When the president takes for himself the legislative power of Congress to recreate federal agencies in the manner he sees fit, he violates the Constitution," reads the lawsuit, which cited Supreme Court cases including Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer and Bowsher v. Synar. "And when the president does so across every federal agency, he threatens the very constitutional foundation of this nation: 'There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person.' ... Thus, for nearly 100 years, when presidents have wanted to restructure the government by reorganizing both between and within federal agencies, they have obtained congressional authorization to do so."
Democracy Forward, which is representing the coalition, said "the impact of the reckless decisions that have been made in an attempt to unlawfully reorganize the federal government without Congress and is being felt in communities across our nation, in red states and blue states."
Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, said the coalition was "filing this lawsuit to challenge the hostile takeover of government by billionaires and anti-union extremists."
"From the mass firings of federal employees to effectively shutting down agencies formed by Congress, this White House has repeatedly broken the law and violated the Constitution to advance their extremist Project 2025 agenda," said Saunders. "Working people deserve to know the public services they depend on will be delivered—that their food will be safe to eat and drinking water clean, that kids in school will have the resources they need to thrive, and that our communities will be able to fight public health epidemics. All these things and more are at stake if this power grab goes unchecked."
The Alliance for Retired Americans said Trump's attacks have threatened senior citizens' "right to the guaranteed benefits they have earned as well as to a fully staffed, well-functioning Social Security Administration," while Phil Francis, chair of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, said the loss of about 1,500 National Park Service staffers is "making an already dire situation at many national parks and program offices far worse."
"The people who have been removed by this administration help to ensure our parks are safe and accessible, and our irreplaceable resources are protected for future generations," said Francis. "Additional mass firings mean safety at parks could be compromised and visitors should expect longer lines, reduced hours of operation at facilities, trails that are not maintained, limited access to some park amenities, and far fewer park rangers to help ensure they have a safe and memorable visit to their national parks."
Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said "the size and breadth of the coalition behind this case demonstrates the wide-ranging implications of the president's unlawful behavior."
