A US federal judge enjoined the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) shutdown of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Tuesday, ordering a halt to dismantling efforts, a reinstatement of employee electronic systems, and reopened access to the agency’s headquarters.
The District Court of Maryland ruled in an accompanying memorandum opinion that DOGE and director Elon Musk “likely violated the Constitution in multiple ways, and that these actions not only harmed [USAID employees], but also the public interest, because they deprived the public’s elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority.”
The Appointments Clause creates two categories of government officers: principal officers and inferior officers. The president appoints principal officers with the consent of the Senate. Principal officers include major government positions like department heads, ambassadors, and Supreme Court Justices. Conversely, Congress makes appointment rules for inferior officers and can authorize the president, the courts, or department heads to assign such roles.
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