The Trump administration has formally requested the Supreme Court to permit the withholding of over $4 billion (£3 billion) in foreign aid. This action follows a recent ruling by a lower court which mandated that the government fulfill its obligations to spend the allocated funds as dictated by Congress.
Solicitor General D John Sauer stated in the filing that the injunction from the lower court poses a grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers. He argued that such a ruling undermines the President's ability to communicate a unified stance in foreign affairs.
Last week, a judge determined that the U.S. government is obligated to use the allocated funds unless Congress acts to approve Trump's request to withdraw them. Trump has invoked a rarely used legislative tool to pull back funding that he deems misaligned with his administration's objectives.
The administration aims to cancel billions in foreign aid, including allocations for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other programs that support democracy and international peacekeeping.
Citing the Impoundment Control Act, Trump seeks to reclaim funds at a time late in the fiscal year, raising concerns that Congress may not have enough time to respond effectively. A coalition of nonprofits and organizations dependent on foreign aid has filed a legal challenge against the administration's attempts to rescind these funds.
This unusual action is reportedly the first of its kind in nearly fifty years. It follows a previous Supreme Court case where justices denied Trump's attempt to freeze $2 billion in foreign aid while deliberations continued.
