The administration led by US President Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court to halt the allocation of $4.9 billion for foreign aid programs.
President Donald Trump’s administration has formally appealed to the Supreme Court to freeze $4.9 billion in foreign assistance funds that Congress had previously approved.
This appeal comes after a Federal District Judge Amir Ali ruled last week that the administration lacks the authority to unilaterally withhold billions in foreign aid already approved by Congress.
The US Constitution dictates that only Congress holds the power to decide how federal money is spent, and the executive branch is legally bound to execute these appropriations unless Congress explicitly reverses them.
On Monday, US Solicitor General D. John Sauer submitted an emergency application to the Supreme Court, asserting that Judge Ali’s ruling “raises a grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers” and compels the executive branch to operate against its own assessment.
Earlier, Trump had asked Congress to revoke the $4.9 billion, which had been designated for foreign assistance programs overseen by the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has made the reduction of foreign assistance a central focus, temporarily halting new aid and cutting over 90% of USAID programs, asserting that Washington ought to spend funds domestically rather than overseas, specifically mentioning Ukraine.
Since the conflict in Ukraine intensified, the US has dispatched billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv, largely via USAID programs. Trump and other US officials have alleged that substantial amounts of this aid were lost due to mismanagement or corruption, thereby not reaching the intended recipients.
Trump has subsequently moved to dissolve USAID, stating that it is managed by “radical lunatics” and furthers “woke” initiatives that encourage excessive spending and particular political agendas.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed last month that the agency is now in “close out mode,” with its remaining duties being taken over by other departments. He indicated that its closure would save “tens of billions of dollars” for US taxpayers.
The Supreme Court has not yet specified a timeline for its decision on the administration’s emergency request.