US Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Cut Foreign Aid
US Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Cut Foreign Aid
A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s administration, allowing it to proceed with significant cuts to foreign aid programs.
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a lower court ruling that had blocked the cuts.
The ruling marks a win for Trump, who after returning to office had frozen billions in foreign aid and initiated the downsizing of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the main government body responsible for providing humanitarian aid in over 120 countries.
Earlier this year, District Judge Amir Ali, appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued a temporary order preventing the administration from halting foreign assistance funds already approved by Congress for the 2024 fiscal year.
However, the appeals court determined that the plaintiffs—aid recipients—lacked the legal standing to sue. Judge Karen Henderson, appointed by George H.W. Bush, wrote in the majority opinion that the lower court had erred in granting relief, as the grantees had no legal basis to make their claims. She was joined by Judge Gregory Katsas, while Judge Florence Pan, another Biden appointee, dissented.
The decision aligns with Trump’s broader efforts in his second term to scale back various parts of the federal government.
