WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court sided again on Friday with Donald Trump, allowing his administration to withhold about $4 billion in foreign aid authorized by Congress for the current fiscal year as the Republican president pursues his “America First” agenda.
The justices for now blocked Washington-based U.S. District Judge Amir Ali’s order that had directed the administration to promptly take steps to spend the aid at issue in the dispute. Ali’s decision came in a lawsuit by aid groups challenging the administration’s action.
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.
The court said in its unsigned order that the aid groups that sued the administration likely lacked the legal authority to bring their challenge. It also expressed