Supreme Court’s Grant Ruling: An Incomprehensible Mess
In a recent, highly complex Supreme Court case, *National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Association*, the justices issued an obscure order regarding the Trump administration’s cancellation of public health grants, many of which were for critical research projects. The central issue revolved around a jurisdictional dispute: which court should hear the case, the district court or the Court of Federal Claims? A fractured court, with no clear majority, ultimately resulted in a split decision where the district court was the proper venue for some parts of the case and the claims court was the venue for others. This complex ruling, as Justice Jackson points out, appears to be designed to obstruct the rule of law, ensuring that the administration’s actions will remain unchallenged.
John Q. Hosedrinker