Washington: A judge in the US Columbia District Court on Friday ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to resume frozen foreign aid, according to a court filing.
Trump ordered a 90-day suspension of all foreign assistance in one of his first executive orders after his inauguration on January 20, as part of a reassessment of US financial commitments abroad in accordance with his administration’s “America First” policy.
“It is hereby ORDERED that Defendants [State Secretary] Marco Rubio, [Acting USAID Deputy] Peter Marocco, [Director of the Office of Management and Budget] Russell Vought, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Office of Management and Budget and their agents are temporarily enjoined from enforcing or giving effect to any … directives that implement [the] Executive Order,” the court document decision read.
Under the order, the defendants cannot in any way prevent distribution of foreign aid and suspend or terminate any contracts for this aid.
The court also said that the reason for the freeze was for the government to be able to review aid programs to asses their effectiveness.
“However, at least to date, Defendants have not offered any explanation for why a blanket suspension of all congressionally appropriated foreign aid, which set off a shockwave and upended reliance interests for thousands of agreements with businesses, nonprofits, and organizations around the country, was a rational precursor to reviewing program,” the filing read.
