Federal Court Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Cut Foreign Aid
The federal appeals court has revisited an earlier ruling, with President Donald Trump attempting to withhold nearly $5 billion in foreign aid that Congress had approved.
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has supported the lower court’s decision that deemed Trump’s effort to cut billions without congressional consent illegal. The vote was 2-1, with Judge Cornelia Pillard and Biden appointee Judge Florence Pan in favor, while Judge Justin Walker, nominated by Trump, dissented.
This development comes after US District Judge Amir Ali issued a 43-page ruling criticizing the Trump administration for its failure to spend funds that had been lawfully allocated.
“The defendant has provided no justification for overriding the fundamental expectation of complying with Congressional expenditures. Absent any claims of unconstitutionality upheld by a final court order, the executive must adhere to the statutory mandate,” Ali stated.
White House Budget Chief Las Vote revealed plans in August to cut $4.9 billion from the State Department and USAID. This strategy, often referred to as a “pocket withdrawal,” has raised concerns among legal experts, who view it as an illegal seizure of funds meant to circumvent Congress’s authority over budgeting.
“There’s no reasonable interpretation of the statute that would justify withholding these billions,” Ali noted in his ruling.
The administration quickly appealed the decision to the DC Court the following Thursday.
A tweet remarked on the situation: “The US Court of Appeals states that the Trump administration cannot unilaterally cut foreign aid. The administration attempted to withhold about $4 billion from an $11 billion budget for aid projects in 2024.” It raised the question, “Did you think the president was in charge of foreign policy? When did that become a federal job?”
Vought reportedly informed the president 45 days after the request to withhold the funds, attempting to extend the deadline beyond the fiscal year ending on September 30. The White House has claimed that this strategy was previously employed back in 1977.
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