A federal judge's pause on the foreign aid freeze imposed by the Trump administration has been superseded for now by John Roberts himself. On Wednesday, just ahead of a midnight deadline put in place by US District Judge Amir Ali for the US government to release nearly $2 billion in payments for previous aid work, the Supreme Court's chief justice issued an order saying that the State Department and US Agency for International Development don't actually have to release the funds ASAP, reports CBS News. The Trump administration had filed an emergency appeal just hours accusing Ali of overreaching.
Roberts imposed his ruling via what's called an administrative stay, described by the Times as "an interim measure meant to preserve the status quo while the justices consider the matter in a more deliberate fashion." The chief justice has given both the State Department and USAID contractors until noon on Friday to respond to the Trump administration's ask. In a Tuesday declaration, Peter Marocco, the State Department's chief of foreign assistance, argued that "restarting funding ... is not as simple as turning on a switch or faucet," and that it would take the federal government "multiple weeks" to actually review all of the contracts and grants included in the order.
The Trump administration has said that it's getting rid of 90% of USAID's foreign contracts and about $60 billion in foreign assistance globally, reports the AP. Although foreign aid makes up just 1% or so of the United States' entire federal budget, Trump and other US officials have claimed there's too much waste taking place. Critics, however, say that Trump's moves on this front are derailing vital programs and services around the world, including some that are lifesaving. The freeze "dangerously undermines America's ability to win," Liz Schrayer, president of the US Global Leadership Coalition, tells the Times. (This foundation is increasing its giving in the wake of the funding freeze.)