MaddowBlog-Democratic AGs sue Trump admin over federal grants freeze amid widespread confusion
The question was when, not whether, Trumps funding freeze would face a legal challenge. A group of Democratic state attorneys general answered soon after.
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The question was when, not whether, Trumps new policy would face a legal challenge. The public did not have to wait too long for an answer.
In a morning news conference, Schumer told reporters that New York Attorney General Letitia James was going to court to contest the White Houses illegal move. The senator knew of what he spoke: The states Democratic attorney general has, in fact, already filed suit taking aim at the presidents legally dubious spending freeze.
Shes partnering in this case with Democratic attorneys general from 21 other states and the District of Columbia: Rob Bonta of California, Kwame Raoul of Illinois, Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts, Matt Platkin of New Jersey, Peter Neronha of Rhode Island, Kris Mayes of Arizona, Phil Weiser of Colorado, William Tong of Connecticut, Kathy Jennings of Delaware, Brian Schwalb of Washington, D.C., Anne Lopez of Hawaii, Aaron Frey of Maine, Anthony G. Brown of Maryland, Dana Nessel of Michigan, General Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Aaron Ford of Nevada, Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, Raúl Torrez of New Mexico, Dan Rayfield of Oregon, Charity Clark of Vermont, Nicholas W. Brown of Washington and Josh Kaul of Wisconsin.
This lawsuit is separate from a related case filed by a coalition of nonprofits and public health advocates, who collectively asked a federal judge for an emergency order to block the White Houses policy. That judge issued an administrative stay on Tuesday afternoon that pushed the start date of the federal funding freeze to Monday at 5 p.m. ET while litigation plays out......
And while that mightve sounded reassuring, NBC News also reported on some of the preliminary consequences of Team Trumps gambit.
Nonprofit organizations reached by NBC News said some of their funding appeared to have already been cut off, and they were scrambling to figure out what the implications could be for their programs, like those providing health care, housing and early childhood education.
There are related reports about state-based Medicaid portals shutting down as a result of the White Houses move, though administration officials are apparently working to address this.
As for the likely fate of the new cases, NBC News published a separate report noting that the issue could make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court quickly.
Although the court has a 6-3 conservative majority, including three Trump appointees, legal experts say this could be one of several uphill legal battles the administration has picked. There are also Supreme Court precedents that have acknowledged restrictions on presidential power when it comes to how money is spent. In 1974, around the time the Impoundment Control Act was enacted, the court ruled against the Nixon administration in an attempt to withhold funding aimed at reducing water pollution.
Watch this space.