Trump wants power reserved for Congress by statute or the Constitution

The Trump administration's attempts to circumvent legal restrictions on the president's power pose a grave threat to our system of checks and balances. The recent ruling by Judge Beryl Howell affirms that the president cannot simply fire officials from independent agencies for political reasons, as this would undermine Congress' intent in establishing these bodies as nonpartisan and insulated from undue executive influence. The administration's appeal of this decision and its embrace of the unitary executive theory represent a brazen power grab that disregards long-established precedents like Humphrey's Executor. It is imperative that the judiciary, as the final arbiter of constitutional questions, uphold the separation of powers and rebuff the administration's efforts to consolidate control over quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial bodies. A ruling that expands the president's removal power beyond the boundaries set by Congress would deal a severe blow to the administrative state and the expertise and independence it was designed to provide. The nation's interests are best served when the branches of government operate within their prescribed roles, not when one branch accrues authority at the expense of the others. We therefore request that the courts diligently apply constitutional principles and uphold the vital system of checks and balances that has safeguarded our democracy for over two centuries. Acquiescing to the unitary executive theory would not only contravene judicial precedent but open the door to an increasingly autocratic presidency at odds with the framers' vision.