The Supreme Court has decided that the Trump administration must restart nearly $2 billion in frozen foreign aid payments.
In a narrow 5-4 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the liberal justices in rejecting the administration’s request to continue withholding these funds.
This ruling comes in response to a district court order mandating the government to pay outstanding invoices to nonprofit aid organizations.
“Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) 2 billion taxpayer dollars,” Justice Samuel Alito, in his dissent, questioned. “The answer to that question should be an emphatic ‘No,’ but a majority of this Court apparently thinks otherwise. I am stunned.”
The ruling requires the administration to follow the district court’s temporary restraining order and restart payments to USAID and State Department contractors for work completed prior to February 13.
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