Chief Justice John Roberts pauses order for Trump admin to pay $2 billion in foreign aid by midnight | CNN Politics

Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a court-imposed midnight deadline that would have required the Trump administration to release $2 billion in frozen foreign aid, a goal that the government has claimed it is unable to meet.

The emergency appeal marks the first time President Donald Trump’s efforts to drastically remake the federal government – including with deep cuts across government agencies – have reached the nation’s highest court. The case appears likely to put the justices on a collision course with Trump’s sweeping efforts to consolidate power within the executive branch.

Roberts’ order does not resolve the underlying questions raised by the case. Rather, it imposed what’s known as an “administrative stay” to give the court a few days to review written arguments in the case. Roberts is the justice designated to handle emergency cases from the federal appeals court in Washington, DC.

“It’s really just a play for time – in this case, perhaps as little as two days – to give the justices time to sort out whether or not they should pause Judge Ali’s ruling or force the government to turn the challenged foreign aid funding back on while the litigation challenging its suspension continues,” Vladeck said.