Washington – The president of the Supreme Court, John G. Roberts Jr., issued an order on Wednesday that arrested the deadline of a judge that requires the Trump administration to send almost $ 2 billion in promised funds for health and humanitarian aid worldwide.
The Trump administration lawyers said officials are reviewing those subsidy programs and that the judge's order “has launched what should be an orderly review by the Government to Chaos.”
President Trump's interim attorney, Sarah M. Harris, said the administration is not claiming the power to refuse to pay what had been promised.
“To be very clear, the Government is committed to paying legitimate claims for the work that was adequately completed in accordance with intact obligations and backed by appropriate documentation.”
The American district judge Amir Ali in Washington, appointed by Biden, had frustrated the administration's delays. He issued an order on February 13 that demanded that the administration lift its freezing funds at the United States Agency for International Development.
Earlier this week, he gave the government 48 hours to “pay all invoices” and contracts “for the completed work” before February 13.
This order caused the emergency appeal to Roberts only a few hours before the midnight deadline on Wednesday.
Roberts issued an administrative order, which makes the case on hold.
The president of the Supreme Court requested an answer for Friday of the AIDS vaccine defense coalition and the Global Health Council, which he had sued for fund delays.
The Supreme Court now faces fast -track appeals on two legal fronts:
Can the Trump administration refuse to spend money that has been approved by Congress?
And can the officials of the Trump Fire Agency whom Congress gave fixed terms?
The court has given the American district judge Amy Berman Jackson until Saturday to decide if Trump can say goodbye if Hampton Dellinger, head of a complainant agency called the Special Advisor Office, can be fired by Trump.
Last week, Roberts and the Supreme Court agreed to give Jackson a few more days to issue a legal decision.
In the past, the conservatives of the court have said that the President has the Executive Authority to eliminate agency officials, even if Congress had given them fixed terms.
But judges may have a different vision about financing. The court in the past has ruled that Congress decides on federal expenditure, and the president is obliged to spend funds that were appropriate by Congress.
The lawyers of the Global Health Alliance said the administration should not be able to breach government promises.
“While the administration refuses to comply with the order of the District Court, the irreparable damage to our clients increases every day, as well as the suffering of millions of people around the world that depend on the work done with these subsidies,” said Lauren Bateman, a lawyer for public citizens.
