Appeals Court Reverses Order Directing Trump Administration to Spend Foreign Assistance Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction that had directed the Trump Administration to spend congressionally appropriated foreign assistance funds. The ruling came in response to a legal challenge filed by Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) and the Journalism Development Network (JDN).
Lauren Bateman, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group and lead counsel on this case, issued the following statement in response:
“Today’s decision is a significant setback for the rule of law and risks further erosion of basic separation of powers principles. We will seek further review from the court, and our lawsuit will continue regardless as we seek permanent relief from the Administration’s unlawful termination of the vast majority of foreign assistance. In the meantime, countless people will suffer disease, starvation, and death from the Administration’s unconscionable decision to withhold life-saving aid from the world’s most vulnerable people.”