The Trump administration has recently petitioned the Supreme Court to address a pivotal question regarding the authority of federal courts, specifically their capacity to nullify agency actions or rules in their entirety. The administration’s plea, lodged with the court on October 14, emphasizes the need to delineate the limits of judicial power concerning agency actions, as reported by SCOTUSblog.
This request arises from a case concerning the implementation of the No Surprises Act, a law enacted to shield patients from unforeseen medical expenses. Originally challenged in a Texas federal district court by the Texas Medical Association and several other parties, aspects of the rules issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, along with others, were invalidated. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit subsequently reviewed the case, vacating certain provisions despite government warnings of potential complexities if patients were left unprotected during the interim.
In its appeal, the Trump administration referenced the Supreme Court’s decision in the 2025 case of Trump v. CASA, where the Court limited federal courts from issuing universal or nationwide injunctions. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that vacating agency action across the board could trigger forum shopping and imbue district court decisions with undue nationwide influence, as reported by the case page.
The impending response from the challengers of the case is scheduled for November 13, although there is potential for the timeline to be extended.