Carl Nichols, a federal judge in the United States, has temporarily halted former president Donald Trump’s plan to grant paid vacation to 2,200 USAID employees. Until February 14, the injunction that was ordered in reaction to a lawsuit filed by unions representing USAID employees will remain in force. Additionally, it restores the employment of a few employees who were administratively suspended.
As part of their plan to modernise government agencies and save spending, the Trump administration had recommended the proposal. But its detractors said it infringed on employees’ rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The government would incur “zero harm” as a result of the ruling, according to Judge Nichols, who sided with the unions, who claimed that they would endure “irreparable harm” if the court did not step in.
Helping struggling areas all over the world is a top priority for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which employs 10,000 people and is the biggest humanitarian aid agency in the world. The agency was already under fire from Trump’s allegations of corruption and inefficiency, so many saw his move as an attempt to further undermine it. As part of his larger “America First” philosophy, he has repeatedly demanded cuts to foreign assistance organisations like USAID.
Next Monday, there will be yet another hearing in the ongoing legal struggle against these plans. The judge’s decision was met with celebration by union members, but discussions on USAID’s function and purpose in American foreign policy continue, casting doubt on the agency’s future.
