The Supreme Court recently concluded a momentous term, issuing opinions in 58 merits cases that touched on various aspects of American life. The 6-3 conservative court handed the White House significant wins, including the expansion of presidential power to fire leaders of independent agencies.
Key Decisions
The court allowed the administration to end temporary humanitarian relief for over 1 million people living in the US, and it erased limits on how much political parties can spend on campaigns in coordination with candidates. The court also upheld a decision to ban transgender students from competing on girls’ sports teams, aligning with President Trump’s agenda and rhetoric.
However, the court also issued decisions with surprising coalitions, including a unanimous decision limiting the government’s ability to disarm regular drug users and a decision upholding automatic birthright citizenship. The court’s decision on birthright citizenship was a significant loss for President Trump, who had sought to end the practice.
Impact on Presidential Power
The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Slaughter gave the president tremendous additional power, allowing him to fire officials at federal agencies that Congress had attempted to protect from presidential politics. This decision overturned a 1935 precedent and has significant implications for the balance of power in the federal government.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
