By Jennifer Schutt | AZ Mirror
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to continue payments on $2 billion in foreign aid that had been frozen, overturning an administrative stay that Chief Justice John Roberts entered in late February.
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas dissented with the ruling. Alito wrote that he was “stunned” by the decision to let a district court judge’s temporary restraining order stand while the case moves forward.
“Today, the Court makes a most unfortunate misstep that rewards an act of judicial hubris and imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers,” Alito wrote. “The District Court has made plain its frustration with the Government, and respondents raise serious concerns about nonpayment for completed work. But the relief ordered is, quite simply, too extreme a response.”
The Supreme Court’s order, which isn’t signed by any of the justices, called on the district court to “clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines.” It represented the first time the high court has weighed in on a major element of one of the many cases filed against the Trump administration.
