After the ICC's decision, the United States government sought relief in United States District Court for the District of Columbia to have the decision rescinded. In this complaint, the U.S. Government argued that the ICC's decision was capricious, arbitrary, and based on a misapplication of law. Language in the 28 U.S.C. 46 required that any judicial action taken to set aside a decision of the ICC "shall be brought... against the United States," which effectively meant that the United States was bringing suit against itself. As such, the District Court required the Attorney General to appear in court as both plaintiff and defendant on behalf of the Government. The District Court dismissed the case without addressing the matter in contention, basing their decision on the common law standard that one party cannot bring suit against itself; accordingly, they reasoned, the United States could not bring suit against the United States.