Chief Justice Roberts Halts $2 Billion USAID Payout as Trump Administration Fights Deadline

Chief Justice Roberts has temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order requiring the Trump Administration to pay nearly $2 billion in foreign aid to contractors.The ruling came shortly before a midnight deadline on Wednesday after the Trump administration requested an emergency order to block the release of USAID funding, arguing it would not be able to comply with the order, according to Fox News.Chief Justice Roberts did not offer any reason for the order for an administrative stay but has asked for a response from the plaintiffs — composed of organizations that receive grants from USAID — to respond to the administration’s request by Friday afternoon.The emergency order is in response to a filing from the Trump administration, which claims that it had finalized plans to terminate most of America’s foreign aid contracts and grants.The administration also said that Judge Amir H. Ali’s order to restore funding for multiple USAID projects had created “an untenable payment plan at odds with the President’s obligations under Article II to protect the integrity of the federal fisc and make appropriate judgements (sic) about foreign aid — clear forms of irreparable harm.”The White House appointee overseeing USAID’s day-to-day operations, Peter Marocco, filed a statement with Judge Ali earlier this week, claiming that it would be impossible to meet the quick deadline to activate payment systems.“Restarting funding related to terminated or suspended agreements is not as simple as turning on a switch or faucet,” Mr. Marocco said. “Rather, the payment systems of USAID and State are complicated and require various steps before payments are authorized to be disbursed by the U.S. Treasury, Department of Health and Human Services, and/or the Department of State, involving multiple agencies.”The administration has planned to slash more than 90 percent of USAID’s contracts and nearly $60 billion in assistance around the globe.“To be very clear, the government is committed to paying legitimate claims for work that was properly completed pursuant to intact obligations and supported by proper documentation,” the Acting Solicitor General, Sarah Harris, wrote in the emergency application with the Supreme Court. “It is attempting to navigate the district court’s evolving orders — and the ensuing, resource-consuming contract-review process — as best it can.”Ms. Harris also claimed that Judge Ali was acting outside his authority.“The President’s power is at its apex, and the power of the judiciary is at its nadir in matters of foreign affairs.”

Chief Justice Roberts Halts $2 Billion USAID Payout as Trump Administration Fights Deadline

More from the New York Sun

Pam Bondi Plows Past ‘Paperwork Mistake’ To Revive Criminal Prosecutions Against Letitia James and James Comey

How Margot Robbie Made Girlboss Cinema a Brand

Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Cutting Funds to California for Not Disclosing Students’ Gender Transitions to Parents

More from the New York Sun

Pam Bondi Plows Past ‘Paperwork Mistake’ To Revive Criminal Prosecutions Against Letitia James and James Comey

How Margot Robbie Made Girlboss Cinema a Brand

Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Cutting Funds to California for Not Disclosing Students’ Gender Transitions to Parents

‘Wuthering Heights’ Is a Mad, Bad, and Sexy Romp That Makes Brontë ‘Brat’

Pro-Hamas Activist Provokes Outrage — by Insisting Dogs Should Be Homeless

The Democrats Beyond the Water’s Edge

Student Sues University of Michigan, Claiming It Mistook Her Anxiety-Ridden Writing Style for AI

Bipartisan Group in Congress Warns of ‘Serious Safety Risk’ From Illegal Biolabs