• Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Portfolio Performance Today
Economy

Trump asks SCOTUS to uphold freeze on billions in USAID payments

by August 28, 2025
by August 28, 2025

Lawyers for the Trump administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on Tuesday night asking the justices to halt a lower court injunction and allow it to freeze billions in foreign aid spending previously allocated by Congress — kicking the issue of USAID funding back to the high court for the second time in roughly six months.

At issue is nearly $12 billion in funding allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and owed by the end of the fiscal year in September. The majority of those funds were axed by President Donald Trump almost immediately after taking office, under the broader mantle of slashing foreign aid and eliminating so-called ‘waste, fraud, and abuse.’  

U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the Supreme Court in an emergency filing Tuesday that, absent intervention from the high court, the Trump administration would be forced to ‘rapidly obligate some $12 billion in foreign-aid funds’ owed by September 30, or the end of the fiscal year.

Those payments have been held up in court for months, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office in January seeking to block nearly all foreign aid spending, as part of his administration’s broader crackdown on waste, fraud, and abuse.

That order was blocked by a federal judge in D.C. earlier this year. That judge, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, ordered the Trump administration to resume payments on billions of dollars in funding for USAID projects that were previously approved by Congress. 

That order was overturned this month by the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which ruled 2-1 to vacate the lower court injunction.

The appeals court partly vacated Judge Ali’s injunction, rejecting a request from foreign aid groups that had sought to restore the grant payments. The 2-1 majority also ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show Trump had acted ‘plainly’ in excess of his executive branch authorities.

Writing for the majority, Judge Karen L. Henderson, a President George H.W. Bush appointee, said that the plaintiffs lacked the proper cause of action to sue the Trump administration over its decision to withhold the funds, or what is known as impoundment.

But the appeals court has not yet issued a mandate to enforce that ruling — meaning that, for now, the judge’s order, and the payment schedule he previously laid out — remains in place.

Sauer argued in the emergency Supreme Court appeal that the foreign aid groups, which sued the Trump administration this year in order to claw back some of the grant money, have no legal authority to challenge the executive branch on the matter, which is technically under the legal jurisdiction of the Impoundment Control Act.

‘Congress did not upset the delicate interbranch balance by allowing for unlimited, unconstrained private suits,’ Sauer wrote. ‘Any lingering dispute about the proper disposition of funds that the President seeks to rescind shortly before they expire should be left to the political branches, not effectively prejudged by the district court.’

Plaintiffs, for their part, have argued that the executive branch lacks the authority to unilaterally withhold already-appropriated funds, under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), as well as the Administrative Procedure Act.

The Supreme Court previously ruled 5-4. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Bill Gates met with Trump to talk ‘importance of US global health programs and health research’: spox
next post
Apple expected to roll out texting update that would hit GOP hardest ahead of midterms, fundraisers say

Related Posts

The OECD’s Warning to America: Economic Growth Is...

October 7, 2025

Will Bitcoin Strengthen or Weaken US Dollar Dominance?

October 7, 2025

Semiconductor Giants with Tech-Industrial Ambitions

October 7, 2025

Self-described ‘unapologetic supporter of Israel’ John Fetterman weighs...

October 7, 2025

More lawmakers say they’re rejecting paychecks as government...

October 7, 2025

Trump flips his shutdown approach, leaving Congress to...

October 7, 2025

Mike Johnson fires back at Hakeem Jeffries’ ‘desperate’...

October 7, 2025

Schumer’s shutdown scheme explained: Dems double down on...

October 7, 2025

Schumer’s shutdown holds as Senate Dems block GOP...

October 7, 2025

Kennedy claims Democrats want millions for foreign LGBT...

October 7, 2025

Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.

By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

Recent Posts

  • The OECD’s Warning to America: Economic Growth Is Slipping

    October 7, 2025
  • Semiconductor Giants with Tech-Industrial Ambitions

    October 7, 2025
  • Will Bitcoin Strengthen or Weaken US Dollar Dominance?

    October 7, 2025
  • Asian markets open: Nikkei hits another record high, Sensex up 140 pts

    October 7, 2025
  • Top reasons why the Topix and Nikkei 225 indices are soaring

    October 7, 2025
  • Goldman Sachs boosts 2026 gold price forecast to $4,900 amid strong demand

    October 7, 2025

Editors’ Picks

  • 1

    Meta executives eligible for 200% salary bonus under new pay structure

    February 21, 2025
  • 2

    Walmart earnings preview: What to expect before Thursday’s opening bell

    February 20, 2025
  • 3

    New FBI leader Kash Patel tapped to run ATF as acting director

    February 23, 2025
  • 4

    Cramer reveals a sub-sector of technology that can withstand Trump tariffs

    March 1, 2025
  • 5

    Anthropic’s newly released Claude 3.7 Sonnet can ‘think’ as long as the user wants before giving an answer

    February 25, 2025
  • 6

    Nvidia’s investment in SoundHound wasn’t all that significant after all

    March 1, 2025
  • 7

    Pop Mart reports 188% profit surge, plans aggressive global expansion

    March 26, 2025

Categories

  • Economy (2,804)
  • Editor's Pick (280)
  • Investing (185)
  • Stock (1,914)
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2025 Portfolioperformancetoday.com All Rights Reserved.

Portfolio Performance Today
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Portfolio Performance Today
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Copyright © 2025 Portfolioperformancetoday.com All Rights Reserved.

Read alsox

Senate hearing on who was ‘really running’...

June 19, 2025

Iran condemns Austria over report on advanced...

June 1, 2025

Biden doctor dodges questions in speedy House...

July 10, 2025