Attorneys General in Numerous States Join in Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Federal Funding Issue
A coalition of attorneys general including Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings are suing the Trump administration to stop an order that according to the AG’s office withholds trillions of dollars in funding that every state in the country relies on to provide essential services to millions of Americans. Attorney General Jennings calls this order “callous, craven, and careless.” The new policy, issued by the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is said to put an indefinite pause on the majority of federal assistance to states. The attorneys general say the policy would immediately jeopardize state programs that provide critical health and childcare services to families in need, deliver support to public schools, combat hate crimes and violence against women, provide life-saving disaster relief to states, and more. AG Jennings and the coalition also argue that jeopardizing state funds will put Americans in danger by depriving law enforcement of much-needed resources. In addition to Delaware, Attorneys general joining the lawsuit include AG’s from Maryland and New Jersey as well as numerous other states.Â
Additional information from the Delaware Attorney General’s Office:
OMB’s policy would pause support for the U.S. Department of Justice’s initiatives to combat hate crimes and violence against women, support community policing, and provide services to victims of crimes.
Statement from Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings:Â
“This order was callous, craven, and careless,” said Attorney General Jennings. “The White House is toying with people’s lives and livelihoods — including millions of Americans who voted for Donald Trump. We’re not going to stand by and wait to see what kind of havoc the President wants to wreak. We’re suing. See you in court.”
While the administration has attempted to walk back the scope and meaning of the OMB policy, states have already reported that funds have been frozen, jeopardizing services like Medicaid across the country. As part of their lawsuit, Jennings and the coalition argue that OMB’s policy violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by imposing a government-wide stop to spending without any regard for the laws and regulations that govern each source of federal funding. The attorneys general argue that the president cannot decide to unilaterally override laws governing federal spending, and that OMB’s policy unconstitutionally overrides Congress’s power to decide how federal funds are spent.Â
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Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.