In a surprising turn of events, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito expressed shock at the recent ruling made by the Supreme Court against the Trump administration regarding USAID funding. The decision, which upholds a lower court’s ruling to release funds to USAID contractors, was met with dissent from Justice Alito, who described himself as “stunned” by the high court’s decision.
The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling rejected the Trump administration’s request to block the release of nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds managed by the US Agency for International Development. Justice Alito, along with Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh, voiced his disagreement with the decision in a dissenting opinion.
Alito argued that allowing a single district-court judge to have the power to compel the government to pay out such a large sum of taxpayer dollars sets a dangerous precedent. He expressed concerns about the irreparable harm the government could suffer if the funds were released, noting that recovering the money after disbursement would be challenging.
The Supreme Court’s ruling did not specify a timeline for the release of the funds but instructed the district court judge overseeing the case to outline the government’s obligations in complying with the temporary restraining order. The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by two nonprofits challenging President Trump’s executive order to pause US foreign assistance programs.
Attorney Lauren Bateman, representing the plaintiffs, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of upholding the law to prevent unnecessary suffering and death.
Termination of federal assistance,” “This story was updated to include additional details from the ruling. Read the original article on Business Insider.
