Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has handed a temporary victory to President Donald Trump by keeping in place the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid for the time being. The decision puts nearly $5 billion in funding on hold.
Roberts acted on the administration’s emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in a case involving billions of dollars in congressionally approved aid. President Donald Trump said last month that he would not spend the money, invoking disputed authority that was last used by a president roughly 50 years ago.
The high court order is temporary, though it suggests the justices will reverse a lower court ruling that withholding the funding was likely illegal. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled last week that Congress would have to approve the decision to withhold the funding.
Trump told House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a letter at the end of last month that he wouldn’t spend $4.9 billion in foreign aid that Congress approved. It’s what we call a “pocket rescission,” in which the president requests that Congress not spend certain approved funds.
“This case raises questions of immense legal and practical importance, including whether there is any avenue to test the executive branch’s decision not to spend congressionally appropriated funds,” Ali wrote in his decision that required Congress to approve the rescission. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit tossed an earlier ruling from Ali that required the administration to spend them money.
“The Trump administration has made deep reductions to foreign aid one of its hallmark policies, despite the relatively meager savings relative to the deficit and the possible damage to America’s reputation abroad as foreign populations lose access to food supplies and development programs,” the AP reports. “The administration turned to the high court after a panel of federal appellate judges declined to block Ali’s ruling.”
Even though Roberts’ decision is temporary, it signals that the court might rule in the administration’s favor.
This is a developing story, and we’ll have more information as it becomes available.
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