Is Roberts signaling he wants republicans to undo legislation on their own, and not come to him to do their dirty work

...or is he just prompting them to vote to approve 'pocket recissions so he doesn't have to rule against Trump's tariffs?'

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney
NEW: Chief Justice Roberts has revived Trump's "pocket rescission" of $4 billion in foreign aid, keeping it on the books at least until the court has more time to weigh the case — and putting the ball squarely in Congress' court.



___In a one-page order Tuesday, Roberts granted the Trump administration’s request for a temporary hold on a lower court’s directive that officials prepare to spend the money by the end of the month — when the current budget cycle comes to a close. Aid groups sued earlier this year to force the administration to formally “obligate” the funds, amid signs that Trump intended to gut the congressionally approved foreign aid budget.

Roberts did not provide any explanation for his ruling, but it is likely to remain in place while the full court considers how to handle the emergency appeal the Justice Department filed Monday. That appeal seeks to set aside U.S. District Judge Amir Ali’s most recent ruling that the administration is acting illegally by refusing to ensure the money can be allocated by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Roberts did, however, nod to the potential for lawmakers to resolve the matter, noting that Trump’s announced cut is “currently pending before Congress.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/09/09/congress/john-roberts-foreign-aid-funding-supreme-court-decision-00553743


...first, Roberts is being disingenuous here because, he knows well that there's no such thing as a 'pocket rescission' and that there's no constitutional way Roberts and the maga majority can make that fly for Trump.

So, instead of either leaving the lower court rulings alone, or ruling against Trump, he's delaying what should be an easy decision affirming the constitutional prerogative of Congress to set tariffs and he's stalling, like he did with the decision granting Trump the immunity they invented for their republican president to run out the clock on his criminal charges until we voted.

Congress could do any number of things, but I'd guess they won't, as they've been hiding behind their president's unilateral evisceration of their own legislative authority, afraid to put their face on the cuts to vital, lifesaving aid for voters to pick them off at election time.

There are several of Trump's 'emergency' orders, some already decided against Trump by lower courts, waiting for the Supremes to decide whether they will take them up (they're not required to).

Instead of making what should be clear rulings against actions taken by Trump which no president has ever used to advantage their office, they are drawing those decisions out and waiting for the politics, or even more autocratic actions from Trump to make their decision moot or determinate in his favor.

It's a cynically corrupt game in which it appears that Chief Justice Roberts now wants Congress to join in with him in advancing Trump's agenda. I mean, he can't do it all by himself.