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Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Withhold Billions in Foreign Aid
In a pivotal decision, the Supreme Court has permitted the Trump administration to maintain a freeze on over $4 billion in foreign aid, which had been previously allocated by Congress. Following a federal judge’s order earlier this month to release the funds by the end of September, the administration appealed, leading to the Supreme Court’s intervention.
In a 6-3 ruling split along ideological lines, the justices sided with the administration, emphasizing President Trump’s foreign policy powers over the concerns brought forward by international aid organizations. The court’s conservative majority expressed doubts about the standing of these groups to challenge the decision.
Justice Elena Kagan, in her dissent, criticized the expedited process through which the decision was reached, noting that it was handled on an emergency basis with limited briefing and no oral arguments. “We have had to consider this application on a short fuse — less than three weeks. We have done so with scant briefing, no oral argument, and no opportunity to deliberate in conference,” Kagan stated.
Last month, President Trump notified House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that he would not disburse $4.9 billion in foreign aid funds, invoking a rare executive power known as pocket rescission.
Typically, Congress has 45 days to consider rescinding appropriated funds. However, if the request is made near the end of the fiscal year, the president can bypass Congress. This maneuver, unused since the 1970s, allows the administration to target funds for development assistance, the United Nations, and peacekeeping operations, as detailed in the pocket rescission package.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
