Supreme Court Allows Trump To Withhold $4B In Funds Allocated By Congress

"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Trump administration can withhold $4 billion in foreign aid previously allocated by Congress. The court ruled 6-3 Friday to stay a a federal judge's ruling that the administration had to release the funds by the end of the fiscal year, which hits on Sept. 30. The justices did not hear oral arguments or give any reasoning for the conservative majority decision."

"The plaintiffs led by the Global Health Council sued after the Trump administration notified lawmakers that it would not spend the $4 billion in funds allocated to foreign aid but said it would spend another $6.5 billion that Congress appropriated. In the dissent, liberal Justice Elena Kagan wrote, We therefore should have denied this application, allowed the lower courts to go forward, and ensured that the weighty question presented here receives the consideration it deserves."

The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 stay allowing the administration to withhold $4 billion in foreign aid allocated by Congress. The justices provided no oral arguments or written reasoning. The order said asserted harms to the Executive's conduct of foreign affairs outweighed potential harm to groups scheduled to receive the funds. Plaintiffs led by the Global Health Council sued after the administration said it would not spend that $4 billion while spending another $6.5 billion Congress appropriated. Analysts note Congress is unlikely to respond before the Sept. 30 fiscal deadline, and describe the administration's end-of-year notice as a rarely used 'pocket rescission' tactic.

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