Source: Fox News
Summary
A conservative watchdog group, Oversight Project, has urged a federal appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Washington, D.C. against the deployment of National Guard troops in the city. The group argues that D.C. cannot sue itself as it is part of the federal government. The lawsuit was filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who argued that President Trump’s deployment of troops encroached on the city’s independence. The appeals court has temporarily paused a lower court’s injunction against the administration while it examines the merits of the case.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The Oversight Project lawyers wrote a brief arguing that D.C. cannot sue itself. The appeal sits at the intersection of Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and D.C.’s fight over self-government. The case has evolved into a legal battle over whether D.C. has the right to challenge the deployment in federal court. The Oversight Project lawyers said that if the appellate court agrees with them, the decision would restore the normal system, where D.C. is subordinate to the federal government. The proper recourse for D.C. would be to turn to the president and Congress, not the courts.
It’s a familiar script: a lawsuit, an appeal, and a debate over the limits of federal power.
Author: Evan Null
