Trump Administration Appeals for Supreme Court Ruling on Foreign Aid
WASHINGTON – On Monday, the Trump administration requested that the Supreme Court reverse a lower court decision regarding the withholding of $4 billion in foreign aid that had already received Congressional approval.
This case is part of a larger series of lawsuits questioning the White House’s ability to bypass Congress’s authority over budget matters by rescinding funds without explicit legislative consent.
Things got more complicated in late August when the Trump administration suggested that Congress cut billions in foreign aid, including some of the funds involved in this lawsuit.
Referred to as “pocket withdrawal,” this action occurred less than 45 days before the fiscal year ended. The administration’s legal interpretation suggests they can cancel funds even if Congress opposes the proposal.
This move was labeled illegal by a nonpartisan accountability office, which upset many senior lawmakers, including Senate Speaker Susan Collins.
“Article 1 of the Constitution clearly states that Congress holds the power of the purse,” Collins noted in a statement. “Withdrawing funds allocated by Congress without approval is a direct violation of the law.”
The Administration’s Argument
The administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court criticized the U.S. District Court for allowing public spending disputes to be handled by the Legislative Bureau and the executive branch, ordering the administration to allocate funds as requested.
“The court’s injunction forces the enforcement department to allocate the same $4 billion the President aimed to withdraw until September 30th, which complicates the administrative process,” stated General D. John Sawhor. “Since the President has indicated to Congress his wish to withdraw these funds, his team is left to continue discussions with potential recipients.”
The request for a pocket resignation emerged in the center of this dispute when Trump reached out to Congress in early June, asking for cuts to various foreign aid accounts as well as public broadcasting funds. In July, lawmakers approved this proposal but maintained full funding for his emergency program for AIDS relief, known as Pepfar.
As of now, Congress hasn’t made any moves on the second request for funding cuts as lawmakers work towards finding a solution before the impending closure deadline on October 1st.
Attorneys for the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council, the organizations behind the lawsuit, filed a response with the Supreme Court on Monday against the administration’s bid to overturn the lower court’s ruling.
“The USAID and State Department have been required to allocate these funds since March 2024, following Congress’s budget decision. They chose not to act sooner,” they argued. “The government faces no recognizable harm by complying with legal obligations for a brief period while the court considers this matter.”
