Afternoon Briefs: McGahn case to be heard by full DC Circuit; judge blocks food-stamp rule
Don McGahn. Photo by Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons.
Full DC Circuit to hear cases on McGahn subpoena, border wall
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has granted en banc review of two cases involving the ability of Congress to sue over disputes with the president. In one case, the appeals court will consider a lawsuit seeking to compel congressional testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn. A D.C. Circuit panel had ruled last month that the House Judiciary Committee was asking the court to settle a dispute that it has no authority to resolve. In the second case, House Democrats claim that President Donald Trump overstepped his power by diverting funds to build a border wall. A D.C. Circuit panel had heard arguments in the case but had not yet ruled. The panel had sought the en banc decision. (The Washington Post, the New York Times, D.C. Circuit order)
Judge cites coronavirus in blocking food-stamp rule
U.S. District Chief Judge Judge Beryl Howell of Washington, D.C., has blocked a federal rule that could lead nearly 700,000 people to lose food stamp benefits. The rule would limit state waivers of work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. “Especially now, as a global pandemic poses widespread health risks, guaranteeing that government officials at both the federal and state levels have flexibility to address the nutritional needs of residents and ensure their well-being through programs like SNAP, is essential,” Howell wrote. (The Huffington Post, CNN, New York attorney general press release, Howell’s decision)
DOJ says staffers have COVID-19 symptoms
Some people in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Washington, D.C., office have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the department told the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Richmond, Virginia, in a letter Friday. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen had advised all DOJ employees Thursday to consider teleworking. (Law.com, the letter)
