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Comment by nappy-doo | Hacker News Reader

Have you met the current congress? They have to care first.

This assumes that they are the only party with standing to sue, which is not likely the case. (Previous rulings on the lack of the authority of the executive to withhold appropriated funds have come in suits by intended recipients.) Both private parties (nonprofits and businesses) [1] and a group of 23 states [2] have already filed suit over the order.

[1] https://www.reuters.com/legal/non-profits-health-groups-sue-...

[2] https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bont...

EDIT:

And it has been blocked, for now: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pause-federal-grants...

Supreme court is in Trump's pocket. You can bet it will be appealed, all the way up, with some new legal theory invented to say that Trump can do whatever he wants.

Is it up to congress though? Not the Supreme Court?

It would be, but they are a rubber stamp for Trump now. Now only judges can stop the madness. Hopefully SCOTUS will actually do their job and make sure that Trump sticks to the law, which does not allow him to just defund programs set up by Congressional vote. Otherwise we wouldn't need a Congress. He's pushing at the walls to see how much he can tear down.

Someone with standing needs to sue, which is then moved through the court system. We would need a US v Trump.

That, or they impeach, which is utterly laughable.

Anyone who's supposed to receive that money has standing and a federal judge can quickly rule that the status quo must remain while the case proceeds. The Trump administration can appeal that ruling but I think it would make it's way through the available steps relatively quickly.

The next steps are probably to cut funding anyway. I have a gut feeling that this is part of a larger power play that demonstrates that (this specific) President has no limitations on his power.

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