A federal appeals court has suspended a ruling that blocked the congressional effort to defund the anti-poverty group ACORN. On Tuesday, the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan froze a decision from last year that stripping ACORN of its federal funding amounted to an unconstitutional “bill of attainder.” The suspension also applies to a follow-up ruling that ordered federal agencies to resume ACORN funding. It will stay in place until the Second Circuit rules on the government’s appeal of the original decisions. ACORN attorneys say they’re considering a Supreme Court appeal of their own. Speaking outside the courtroom, ACORN head Bertha Lewis said the funding cuts have left the group “on life support.”