The administration of US President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to uphold the government's decision to freeze billions of dollars previously allocated by Congress for foreign aid, CBS News reported.
According to the channel, the corresponding petition was filed by representatives of the administration after the appeals court in Washington refused to agree with the government on September 5. In accordance with the decision of the lower court, the Trump administration must spend at least $ 4 billion, the allocation of which for foreign aid was previously approved by the US Congress, by September 30, that is, by the end of the current fiscal year.
As The Washington Post notes, in turn, the funds must be used to supply food, medicine, and also to provide “assistance for development“. The process affects another $6.5 billion in foreign aid, but, as the publication writes, the US Department of Justice has made it clear in advance that it intends to spend it within the established deadline.
In late July, Trump signed a law that reduces government spending on foreign aid and funding for public broadcasters NPR and PBS by a total of $9 billion. According to the document, $7.9 billion allocated to the State Department for the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will return to the federal budget.
On February 3, the Trump administration practically suspended the activities of USAID, which was used to implement US foreign policy and was a tool for influencing other countries. On March 10, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, appointed interim head of USAID, announced that after an audit, the government had terminated 83% of the department's programs.