The president’s administration stated it would pay “legitimate claims.”
Supreme Court Justice John Roberts granted an administrative stay on the order from District Judge Amir Ali that required President Donald Trump’s administration to release billions in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding that have been temporarily frozen for review.
President Trump put a 90-day hold on the payments the day he was inaugurated so that officials could ensure that the money was not wasteful or fraudulent. The judge’s order mandated that frozen funds be released for all grants and contractors, not just those to the plaintiffs who filed suit.
Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris stated in the appeal to the chief justice, who has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia Circuit, that Judge Ali’s order “effectively allows a single federal district court to supervise the federal government’s contracting decisions regarding foreign aid—an area where the Executive Branch ordinarily has the broadest discretion.”
She also contended that district judges do not have such authority, because claims “that the government owes money under its contracts and other funding instruments” are to be filed with the Court of Federal Claims.
The appeal continued, stating that “the government is committed to paying legitimate claims for work that was properly completed pursuant to intact obligations and supported by proper documentation.” She wrote that what “the government cannot do is pay arbitrarily determined demands on an arbitrary timeline of the district court’s choosing or according to extra-contractual rules that the court has devised.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the chief justice as he presides over the high court and the D.C. Circuit.
- For President Trump as his administration seeks to defend his constitutional authority and ensure the law is accurately applied.
Sources: Townhall, USA Today, AmyLHowe.com, Desert News
