Secretary John Roberts has issued a temporary suspension of a court mandate that required the Trump administration to allocate $5 billion in foreign aid.
This administrative stay allows time for the courts to consider the Trump administration’s request to halt the distribution of these funds. Congress has already authorized the spending, which needs to occur by September 30, 2025.
These stays are provisional and could be replaced later this week. Roberts has directed the aid group to provide a response by noon on Friday.
The funds in question were set aside by Congress for various purposes, including foreign aid, UN peacekeeping efforts, and promoting democracy abroad.
Last year, Congress approved significant funding for foreign aid, totaling about $11 billion, which must be utilized by the end of the fiscal year 2025, or the allocated amount will be lost.
The Trump administration has claimed that the $4 billion of disputed funding contradicts US foreign policy and aligns with the president’s “America First” initiative.
Earlier this year, the president made moves to dismantle several key US International Development Organizations responsible for foreign aid.
In response to the aid group’s lawsuit challenging the funding freeze, the administration proposed spending $6.5 billion on conflict-related initiatives.
Furthermore, Trump is reportedly attempting a “pocket withdrawal” maneuver to block $4 billion through budgetary manipulation that avoids Congressional approval.
On September 3, a judge ruled that the administration could not withhold these funds, emphasizing the need to adhere to the Expenditure Act unless Congress decides otherwise.
