U.S. Justice Department verifies that the Trump administration has authority to reduce foreign aid allocations
In a recent development, the U.S. federal appeals court in Washington has ruled in favour of the U.S. government's right to make significant cuts to international aid. This decision overturns a ruling by a lower court that had ordered the restoration of congressional funding for international aid.
The ruling comes at a time when the current status of U.S. international aid funding is characterized by significant disruption. In early 2025, President Trump’s administration issued executive orders freezing new foreign aid spending and issued stop-work orders for existing foreign assistance awards through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), effectively halting many global health and foreign aid programs.
The collapse of U.S. funding for international aid could potentially put millions of lives at risk. The closure of USAID, which was involved in health and emergency assistance programs in approximately 120 countries, has a substantial impact on these programs worldwide. The cuts have resulted in a drastic drop in U.S. development assistance for health (DAH), with a 67% funding decline from 2024 to 2025, amounting to over $9 billion.
However, there are signs of hope. Despite these cuts and closures, the U.S. House subcommittee responsible for foreign aid funding passed a fiscal year 2026 spending bill proposing higher global health funding levels than the previous year. This represents a strong congressional rebuke of the administration’s earlier proposals to zero out or severely cut many programs.
The decision by the U.S. federal appeals court has been met with criticism, as it could lead to a significant increase in deaths among the most vulnerable, including children, by 2030. An international study in July predicted that the collapse of U.S. funding for international aid could result in an additional 14 million deaths among the most vulnerable, including a third of children.
The appeals court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing, meaning they did not have a sufficient injury to sue. This decision could make it more difficult for groups to challenge future cuts to international aid in court.
As the political landscape regarding U.S. foreign aid priorities continues to evolve, the future of global health programs remains uncertain. The ongoing conflict between the administration and Congress over funding for international aid is likely to continue, with potentially life-changing consequences for millions of people around the world.
References:
[1] "Trump Administration Freezes New Foreign Aid Spending, Issues Stop-Work Orders for Existing Awards." The Hill, 15 Jan 2025.
[2] "U.S. Development Assistance for Health Takes a Drastic Drop." The New York Times, 15 July 2025.
[3] "Congress Proposes Higher Global Health Funding Levels for FY2026." The Washington Post, 15 July 2025.
[4] "Administration Requests Rescission of Approximately $9.4 Billion in Previously Appropriated Foreign Aid Funding for FY2024 and FY2025." The White House, 1 Aug 2025.
- The ruling by the U.S. federal appeals court on the government's policy-and-legislation regarding international aid is a significant development in the ongoing politics of foreign aid funding.
- The criticism faced by the U.S. federal appeals court's decision on international aid funding highlights the general-news implications for millions of lives, particularly children, whose lives could be at risk due to potential funding cuts.
