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Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration’s resolution to cancel billions in international assist can stand, a federal appeals court docket stated at present, in a serious blow to world humanitarian assist.
What did the court docket truly determine? A 3-judge panel on the DC Circuit Court docket of Appeals dominated 2-1 that the plaintiffs within the case weren’t eligible to deliver the go well with within the first place.
The bulk discovered that solely the Authorities Accountability Workplace can problem the administration’s resolution to withhold congressionally appropriated funds below a selected course of specified by the Impoundment Management Act of 1974.
What’s the context for this resolution? Donald Trump and Elon Musk made US international assist applications one in every of their first targets upon taking energy in January. Musk boasted about feeding the US Company for Worldwide Growth “into the wooden chipper,” and Trump withheld billions in spending already approved by Congress.
A lot of humanitarian nonprofits sued to revive the withheld funds, alleging it was an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers — however at present’s ruling punts on that query altogether, as a substitute specializing in process.
What’s going to the influence of this freeze be? To place it merely, US international assist saves lives, and chopping it should price them. Among the many cash the Trump administration will now be allowed to withhold is billions of {dollars} in funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and different world well being applications.
What else ought to I do know? Separate from the human influence, this can be a vital resolution for the Trump administration’s efforts to impound congressionally appropriated funds, for international assist and different functions. Until or till the GAO sues over impoundment, the administration can preserve at it and preserve chipping away on the separation of powers within the course of.
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
You realize what The Logoff hasn’t featured shortly? That’s proper — an animal livestream. At present I’m spotlighting one in every of my favorites from Brooks Falls in Katmai Nationwide Park, Alaska.
The park’s grizzly bear inhabitants is at the moment laborious at work catching salmon to fatten up for the winter, and you may watch them do it right here (they’re doing an important job). I hope it’s a lighter second to your night, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow.
