The Supreme Court delivered a significant victory for constitutional order this week, finally dismantling a century-old precedent that shielded unelected bureaucrats from presidential oversight.
By a six-to-three vote, the justices affirmed that subordinates who exercise executive power must remain accountable to the President, and by extension, the American people.
This ruling effectively guts the insulation of 'independent' agencies, ensuring that future administrations can actually implement their agendas without being hamstrung by holdover regulators from previous regimes.
Chief Justice John Roberts correctly noted that the President's authority to remove these officials is essential to maintaining a functioning executive branch. While this was a decisive win for executive power, the court showed its independence in other matters.
A five-to-four majority, including Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh, blocked efforts to remove a Federal Reserve governor, citing the need for due process and warning against executive overreach into central bank operations.
Additionally, the court declined to intervene in a dispute over state-level mail-in ballot counting, with Justice Barrett emphasizing that states retain the constitutional authority to manage their own election procedures. Finally, the court declined to hear an appeal regarding a civil defamation judgment, signaling the end of that specific legal battle.
While the media may focus on the split decisions, the core takeaway remains clear: the Supreme Court has reasserted the President's rightful control over the administrative state, a necessary step toward curbing the power of the unelected bureaucracy.
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