The US has continued to block foreign aid

A federal appeals court on August 13 overturned a ban that required the US State Department to continue making foreign aid payments, delivering a victory for President Donald Trump.

In a ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said that a lower court erred in ordering the Donald Trump administration to restore foreign aid payments previously approved by Congress.

On January 20, the US president imposed a 90-day pause on all foreign aid. This happened on the same day he was inaugurated for his second term in the White House.

For example, Trump has placed a significant portion of the staff of the main US foreign assistance agency, USAID, on leave and is exploring the possibility of transferring the formerly independent agency under the State Department.

Two nonprofit groups that receive federal funding — the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Journalism Advancement Network — have filed a lawsuit, arguing that Trump's funding freeze was illegal.

Speaking for the majority (two judges to one), District Judge Karen Henderson said that the nonprofits "have no cause of action to substantiate their claims" and therefore do not qualify for an injunction.

According to Henderson, only the U.S. House of Representatives, an oversight agency, can challenge Trump's actions to cut off foreign aid.

Henderson stressed that the court is not considering whether Trump's foreign aid freeze violates the U.S. Constitution by curtailing congressional authority. Henderson was joined in her opinion by U.S. District Judge Gregory Katzas, a Trump appointee.

District Judge Florence Pan, a Biden appointee, wrote that her colleagues are allowing the Trump administration to ignore federal law and the principle of separation of powers enshrined in the constitution.

The court's acquiescence to illegal executive behavior undermines the carefully crafted system of checks and balances that serve as the greatest safeguard against tyranny—the accumulation of excessive power in one branch of government.

A spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget added that the decision would prevent "radical left-wing financial groups from maliciously preventing the President from spending responsibly and administering foreign assistance lawfully in accordance with his 'America First' policy."

USAID funding has played a critical role in improving global health, primarily targeting low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, according to a study. More than 14 million people could die as a result of the Trump administration's decision to cut funding to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).