Why Ignore When You Can Fire?

Trump wants the ability to fire judges

Photo by yousef alfuhigi on Unsplash

Hey, ya know what’s more fun than ignoring judicial decisions? Firing the judges! We’re talking about administrative law judges here, not the regular judges that serve on the judicial bench for life. Administrative judges are members of the executive branch, not the judicial branch. They preside over administrative hearings in executive branch agencies.

They do shit like administering oaths, taking testimony, ruling on evidentiary questions, and making factual and legal determinations. They include:

· Social Security Administration judges who handle disputes about disability and retirement benefits

· National Labor Relations Board judges who resolve unfair labor practice cases

· Federal Energy Regulatory Commission judges who hear disputes about matters like electric utilities and regional grids

Can ya see why Trump wouldn’t like them? They decide shit that directly interferes with his billionaire buddies’ ability to make shit tons of money.

Back to the judges. You may be wondering who appoints these judges. I did too so I looked it up. Turns out that the head of each agency appoints their own judges. To keep things fair and non-partisan, Congress passed a law … remember…