D.C. Court grants administrative stay on stopping payments for work

In one of the first cases brought to stop the Administration’s efforts to “pause” federal programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Loren L. Alikhan) issued an “administrative stay” in a suit brought by the National Council of Nonprofits and others against the Office of Management and Budget.

The Plaintiffs argued that the pause authorized by OMB memorandum M-25-13 was arbitrary and capricious, violated the First Amendment, and exceeded OMB’s statutory authority. Plaintiffs sought a temporary restraining order.  The Court issued a short “administrative stay” to stop the pause as it applied to Issuance of payments “under all open awards” but did not apply to issuance of new awards.  (National Council of Nonprofits v. Office of Management and Budget, D. DC, No. 25-239, 1/28/25.)