Federal Government Returns to US Supreme Court in Push to Freeze $12 Billion in Foreign Aid

‘The district court jumped ahead, appointing itself as overseer of spending decisions,’ the U.S. solicitor general said in a letter to the high court.

Solicitor General nominee D. John Sauer prepares to testify during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on Feb. 26, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The federal government on Aug. 26 filed an application with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to suspend a court order that is preventing it from freezing billions in foreign aid.

President Donald Trump, on inauguration day, ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid. His presidential order was met with legal challenges from two nonprofit groups that receive federal funding grants related to aid: the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and Journalism Development Network. They alleged that Trump’s funding freeze was unlawful.