U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has scheduled a rare Presidents Day court hearing in Washington, D.C., to address concerns over Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting team, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). The move comes after 13 Democratic state attorneys general sought a temporary restraining order to block DOGE from accessing systems at federal agencies, including Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services.
Since President Donald Trump appointed Musk to lead the initiative last month, DOGE has aggressively cut costs and eliminated thousands of jobs. The attorneys general argue that Musk wields unconstitutional power, requiring Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause. They also claim DOGE lacks congressional authorization.
The states are pushing for a 14-day restraining order to prevent DOGE from firing employees or accessing sensitive government data while legal proceedings continue.
On Friday, Chutkan heard arguments but did not rule. Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in New York extended a block preventing DOGE from accessing Treasury systems, while Judge John Bates in Washington denied a similar request regarding Labor and Health agencies.
About 20 lawsuits have been filed against DOGE, leading to mixed rulings. Most federal judges handling these cases have yet to decide.
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