The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s administration’s request to block a lower court judge’s order requiring the administration to pay almost $2 billion to contractors affiliated with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a 5-4 ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court noted that the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary restraining order on February 13 that prevented the Trump administration from “enforcing directives pausing disbursements of foreign development assistance funds.”
The Supreme Court said that the district court later ordered the Trump administration on February 25 to issue payments for work that was already completed by USAID contractors prior to the temporary restraining order. While the district court’s order required the Trump administration to issue the payments by 11:59 p.m. on February 26, the Trump administration filed an appeal to the Supreme Court to vacate the lower court’s decision.
Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused the lower court’s ruling prior to the February 26 deadline; however, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled against the Trump administration on Wednesday.
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In Wednesday’s ruling, the Supreme Court said, “The application is denied. Given that the deadline in the challenged order has now passed, and in light of the ongoing preliminary injunction proceedings, the District Court should clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines. The order heretofore entered by THE CHIEF JUSTICE is vacated.”
According to Fox News, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch dissented on Wednesday, with Alito writing, “Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) 2 billion taxpayer dollars? The answer to that question should be an emphatic ‘No,’ but a majority of this Court apparently thinks otherwise.”
Alito added that he was “stunned” by the Supreme Court’s decision.
In a Monday court filing, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Sarah Harris explained that while the federal government is “committed to paying legitimate claims for work that was properly completed” by USAID contractors, the deadline U.S. District Judge Amir Ali initially gave the Trump administration to issue the payments was “not logistically or technically feasible.”
Source: American Military News
