Federal judge blocks Trump putting USAID workers on leave

Donald Trump is trying hard to get the bloat out of America's federal government and turn it into a lean, mean, efficient machine.

For some reason, there are many people in America who would rather have more overpaid and underperforming workers in the federal workforce.

According to The Hill, "A federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary block on the Trump administration’s plan to place thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees on leave while he weighs whether a further pause is warranted."

Trump has accused the United States Agency for International Development of fraud and has promised to shut down the agency or at least severely limit its resources.

Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an executive order freezing USAID aid for 90 days pending review.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols didn't like that. In response to Trump's executive order, Nichols blocked Trump's freeze from taking effect until February 14.

Recently, however, Nichols extended the block on Trump's executive order through February 21.

Unions representing government employees sued to stop the shutdown of USAID's operations and restart the flow of foreign aid that Trump had frozen.

While it was presented as a need to help those less fortunate in other parts of the world, the unions were really just trying to save their member's jobs.

Karla Gilbride, a lawyer for the unions, said that Trump's efforts to shutter USAID represent an "unprecedented usurpation of power that does not belong to the executive branch."

She argued the agency needed to stay open because even if the dismissed workers sued and won their jobs back, there would be no place for them to go back to work.

"Once the agency is dissolved, it cannot be put back together again," she said.

Donald Trump isn't buying it. He wants the federal government to become more efficient, and he wants it to happen quickly.

Per The Hill:

"The Trump administration disclosed late Wednesday that more than 200 contracts issued by USAID had been canceled since Tuesday morning. Former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios signaled the cuts were dramatic, telling the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday that he and his team cut only 80 programs over the course of a month during former President George W. Bush’s administration."

Do you agree with Donald Trump's efforts to try to make America's government more efficient?