Full D.C. Circuit hears oral arguments on CFPB shutdown

The full United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard en banc oral arguments in National Treasury Employees Union v. Vought on February 24, 2026, with 11 judges probing whether the Executive Branch could effectively disable the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau without congressional action. Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought had issued stop-work orders and initiated mass layoffs of up to 1,400 employees, and the NTEU argued these actions amounted to a constructive shutdown of a congressionally mandated agency. A three-judge panel had previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking the layoffs, prompting the Trump administration to seek full-court review.