Judge blocks freeze on federal funding

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s freeze on $3 trillion in federal funding, ruling that the action exceeded executive authority. Photo courtesy Unsplash

Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a preliminary injunction that was requested by attorneys general for 22 states and the District of Columbia

A federal judge Thursday blocked the Trump administration from freezing up to $3 trillion in funding for federal agency grants, loans and other financial assistance.

Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a preliminary injunction that was requested by attorneys general for 22 states and the District of Columbia.

The attorneys general sued the Trump administration Jan. 28 to prevent the funding freeze.

McConnell’s ruling extends a previous block that the federal court imposed with a temporary restraining order on Jan. 31.

In his written decision, McConnell accused the executive branch of placing itself above Congress, an equal branch of government.

The Trump administration can only take actions on funding if it’s authorized to do so by laws passed by Congress, McConnell said.

“The Executive’s categorical freeze of appropriated and obligated funds fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government,” the judge wrote.

McConnell’s ruling was praised by the attorneys general in the suit, which was led by New York Attorney General Letia James.

Other plaintiffs are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

The prosecutors have accused the Trump administration of acting illegally and recklessly by imposing the cuts, which they noted in statements Thursday would have affected everything from community health centers to schools and resources for firefighters.

“Last month, the Trump administration chaotically implemented a sweeping federal funding freeze, halting access to billions of dollars in funds lawfully appropriated by Congress,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “In doing so, it willfully ignored the immediate devastation a freeze would have on the health, safety and wellbeing of communities and businesses across the country.”

Bonta called McConnell’s ruling “an important victory for the rule of law and for the many programs throughout our state that rely on federal funding to carry out their mission.”

He vowed the attorneys general would continue to work to get a permanent ruling against the federal funding freeze.

California this year is expected to receive $168 billion in federal funding, or 34% of the state’s budget, according to Bonta’s office. That includes $107.5 billion in California’s Medicaid programs, which serve about 14.5 million Californians, including 5 million children and 2.3 million seniors and people with disabilities.

More than 9,000 full-time equivalent state jobs are federally funded in California, Bonta’s office said.

The Trump administration’s freeze on funding could have affected California’s law enforcement, public safety, critical transportation infrastructure, water quality and workplace health and safety, according to Bonta’s office. The attorney general’s staff also cited Head Start, education services for students with disabilities and research projects at state universities as programs that depend on federal funding.

In Arizona, Attorney General Kim Mayes called the preliminary injunction a victory for her state’s residents.

“I won’t stand by while the Trump administration puts itself above Congress and withholds resources that families, public safety and health care providers depend on,” Mayes said.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said his state would have been devastated by federal cuts to everything from lifesaving health care to resources for firefighters.

Thursday’s preliminary injunction against the funding freeze was the second one issued by a federal judge. The first such injunction was imposed last month by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in another lawsuit in Washington, D.C. That suit was filed by a group of nonprofits.

This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.