Supreme Court Allows Trump to Freeze $4 Billion in Foreign Aid
Washington D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday delivered another victory to President Donald Trump, allowing his administration to freeze $4 billion in foreign aid previously approved by Congress. The ruling overturns a lower court order demanding the funds be disbursed before a September 30th deadline.
The decision marks the latest instance of the conservative-leaning court broadly interpreting presidential power and represents a meaningful step in the Trump administrationS effort to reshape U.S. foreign aid spending. The funds were allocated for initiatives including United Nations peacekeeping operations and democracy-promotion efforts.
The dispute centered on a tactic known as a “pocket rescission,” where the administration sought to prevent the expenditure of funds by allowing the authorization to expire.U.S. District Judge Amir ali had previously ordered Trump to release the funds, warning of a “grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers,” given Congress’s constitutional authority over appropriations.
The White House argued in court filings that disbursing the funds would be “contrary to US foreign policy.” The administration has previously indicated it intends to overhaul U.S. foreign aid, cutting funding to the UN and significantly altering the role of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Trump has also sought to redirect funds towards domestic immigration enforcement.
Critics contend the cuts will diminish U.S. influence abroad and perhaps jeopardize long-term national interests. The administration maintains the move is aimed at responsible spending.
This ruling follows a pattern of the 6-3 conservative majority supreme Court consistently siding with the Trump administration, frequently enough expanding the scope of executive authority. The “pocket rescission” tactic used in this case was last employed in 1977, according to the White House.
