The U.S. Supreme Court permitted the Trump administration to freeze over $4 billion in foreign aid payments that President Trump sought to cancel through a rare “pocket rescission.” In a 6-3 emergency ruling, the justices halted a lower court decision that had ordered the release of the funds, intended for programs including USAID and groups like the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition. The majority argued that harms to the Executive’s conduct of foreign affairs outweighed the harm faced by the respondents. This landmark decision marks the first use of the “pocket rescission” maneuver in nearly five decades, although the court stopped short of ruling on the larger constitutional issue of whether the President can unilaterally impound funds approved by Congress.

Separately, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case challenging the limits of presidential authority regarding federal agencies, specifically whether President Trump can remove commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) without cause. In a preliminary order, the justices allowed Trump to remove Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter while the case is pending. Dissenting justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that this decision grants the president “full control” over independent agencies intended by Congress to remain shielded from political influence, jeopardizing their bipartisanship and independence.