Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts pumped the brakes on a lower court order that gave the Trump administration a midnight deadline Wednesday into Thursday to unfreeze $2 billion worth of foreign aid.
Roberts paused the order Wednesday until further notice and gave plaintiffs suing the Trump administration until noon Friday to respond, marking the first time the Supreme Court has dealt with a case involving the president’s push to overhaul the federal government.
The question at hand is the Trump administration’s 90-day freeze on US Agency for International Development spending amid a review to ensure the outlays were aligned with the president’s policies.
District Judge Amir Ali, who was appointed to the bench by former President Joe Biden, temporarily mandated that the funds continue flowing while considering the case.
Plaintiffs argued that the Trump administration did not properly unfreeze all of the money, which led to Ali giving the Trump administration a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to fully comply.
But the Trump administration argued that it would take “multiple weeks” to fully comply due to logistical challenges.
Despite its issues with the temporary order to restore funding, the Trump administration asserted in court documents that it “takes seriously its constitutional duty to comply with the orders.” President Trump has also publicly stated that he will adhere to court rulings but intends to appeal the ones he dislikes.
Roberts’ pause is only temporary, and the chief justice is widely expected to give the high court more time while justices determine the next steps.
The chief justice’s move came after a three-judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals spurned the administration’s plea for a pause on Ali’s order.
The panel, which was comprised of appointees from Democratic administrations, argued that Ali’s decision couldn’t face review from higher courts at that time.
Ali is still in the process of weighing the legality of the Trump administration’s freeze, despite his temporary order that the funds continue flowing for now.
Several groups, such as the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, Journalism Development Network, DAI Global and refugee assistance organization HIAS had sued the Trump administration over the freeze.
Recent documents from the State Department and court filings have revealed that the administration is looking to slash about $57 billion in foreign aid spending and nix 92% of USAID grants.
The administration plans to cut 5,800 out of 6,200 USAID multiyear contracts and 4,100 of 9,100 State Department grants, per the documents.
