Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Trump's administration to withhold more than $4 billion in foreign aid funding, granting its request for emergency relief in a dispute over money that Congress has already approved.

The high court's decision effectively extends an order that Chief Justice John Roberts had issued earlier this month, which temporarily froze a district court injunction requiring the Trump administration to spend the money Congress appropriated for foreign-aid projects by the end of September. The court appeared to divide 6-3, with Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court's three liberals, dissenting.

The Supreme Court said in an unsigned order that the harm to the executive branch's ability to conduct foreign affairs appears to outweigh the potential harm faced by the plaintiffs, which are organizations and businesses that receive funding for foreign aid projects. It added that the decision "should not be read as a final determination on the merits. The relief granted by the Court today reflects our preliminary view, consistent with the standards for interim relief."

The dispute before the justices involves a tranche of more than $4 billion Congress approved last year for overseas development assistance, peacekeeping operations and to promote democracy globally, among other priorities. Mr. Trump notified Congress last month that he is seeking to claw back $4.9 billion before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 through a maneuver known as a "pocket rescission."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/supreme-court-lets-trump-withhold-4-billion-in-foreign-aid-approved-by-congress/ar-AA1NnUUi