&w=3840&q=100)
Lawsuit challenges billions of dollars in Trump admin's funding cuts
The lawsuit filed in Boston is asking a judge to limit the Trump administration from relying on an obscure clause in the federal regulation to cut grants that don't align with its priorities
AP Boston
Attorneys general from more than 20 states and Washington, DC, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging billions of dollars in funding cuts made by the Trump administration that would fund everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research.
The lawsuit filed in Boston is asking a judge to limit the Trump administration from relying on an obscure clause in the federal regulation to cut grants that don't align with its priorities.
Since January, the lawsuit argues that the administration has used that clause to cancel entire programmes and thousands of grants that had been previously awarded to states and grantees.
Defendants' decision to invoke the Clause to terminate grants based on changed agency priorities is unlawful several times over, the plaintiffs argued.
The rulemaking history of the Clause makes plain that the (Office of Management and Budget) intended for the Clause to permit terminations in only limited circumstances and provides no support for a broad power to terminate grants on a whim based on newly identified agency priorities.
The lawsuit argues the Trump administration has used the clause for the basis of a slash-and-burn campaign to cut federal grants.
Defendants have terminated thousands of grant awards made to Plaintiffs, pulling the rug out from under the States, and taking away critical federal funding on which States and their residents rely for essential programmes, the lawsuit added.
The White House's Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to a request made Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Rhode Island Attorney General Neronha said this lawsuit was just one of several the coalition of mostly Democratic states have filed over funding cuts. For the most part, they have largely succeeded in a string of legal victories to temporarily halt cuts.
This one, though, may be the broadest challenge to those funding cuts.
It's no secret that this President has gone to great lengths to intercept federal funding to the states, but what may be lesser known is how the Trump Administration is attempting to justify their unlawful actions, Neronha said in a statement.
Nearly every lawsuit this coalition of Democratic attorneys general has filed against the Administration is related to its unlawful and flagrant attempts to rob Americans of basic programmes and services upon which they rely. Most often, this comes in the form of illegal federal funding cuts, which the Administration attempts to justify via a so-called agency priorities clause." Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the lawsuit aimed to stop funding cuts he described as indiscriminate and illegal.
There is no because I don't like you' or because I don't feel like it anymore' defunding clause in federal law that allows the President to bypass Congress on a whim," Tong said in a statement.
Since his first minutes in office, Trump has unilaterally defunded our police, our schools, our healthcare, and more. He can't do that, and that's why over and over again we have blocked him in court and won back our funding.
In Massachusetts, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the US Department of Agriculture terminated a USD 11 million agreement with the state Department of Agricultural Resources connecting hundreds of farmers to hundreds of food distribution sites while the US Environmental Protection Agency terminated a USD 1 million grant to the state Department of Public Health to reduce asthma triggers in low-income communities.
We cannot stand idly by while this President continues to launch unprecedented, unlawful attacks on Massachusetts' residents, institutions, and economy, Campbell said in a statement.
The lawsuit argues that the OMB promulgated the use of the clause in question to justify the cuts. The clause in question, according to the lawsuit, refers to five words that say federal agents can terminate grants if the award "no longer effectuates the programme goals or agency priorities.
The Trump Administration has claimed that five words in this Clause'no longer effectuates . . . agency priorities'provide federal agencies with virtually unfettered authority to withhold federal funding any time they no longer wish to support the programmes for which Congress has appropriated funding, the lawsuit said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize nomination in jeopardy after explosive fallout with Ukraine and Pakistan—what happens now?
Donald Trump has been formally nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, credited for helping negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The nomination was submitted by U.S. Republican Congressman Buddy Carter, who described Trump's efforts as 'extraordinary and historic.' In his letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Carter highlighted Trump's role in halting a rapidly escalating conflict, saying the agreement 'offered the world a rare glimpse of hope.' Carter added that Trump's involvement required 'both courage and clarity,' and that the resulting ceasefire helped prevent what could have been a wider regional war in the Middle East. Ukrainian lawmaker withdraws support over Ukraine stance However, Trump's nomination has not been without controversy. Oleksandr Merezhko, a senior Ukrainian lawmaker who had earlier nominated Trump for the same prize, withdrew his support. Merezhko, who chairs Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told Newsweek he no longer believed Trump could deliver on his promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war. 'I have lost any sort of faith and belief in Trump and his ability to secure a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv,' he said. Merezhko also criticized Trump's reluctance to impose sanctions on Russia and described his response to recent missile attacks on Kyiv as 'appeasement.' In March, Ukraine accepted a U.S.-backed peace proposal, but Russia has not responded. Trump previously claimed he would end the conflict within 24 hours if re-elected. In May, he said, 'If Putin is stalling, we'll respond a little bit differently,' but did not follow up with action. Pakistan praises Trump, then Condemns US strikes Pakistan had initially expressed strong support for Trump's nomination. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar credited him for reducing tensions between India and Pakistan and submitted a formal nomination. However, this endorsement was short-lived. A day after Trump's ceasefire announcement, he approved a U.S. strike on three Iranian nuclear sites. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry quickly responded with criticism, calling the military action 'deeply disturbing.' Ceasefire named '12-day war'; Trump voices disappointment The ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which Trump announced on a Monday, came just two days after the military action. He proposed naming the conflict the '12-Day War' and called the resolution a pivotal step toward avoiding broader violence in the region. Despite this, Trump expressed frustration over his past diplomatic efforts going unrecognized. On Truth Social, he said, 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,' referencing previous attempts like the Abraham Accords and mediation efforts involving India-Pakistan and Serbia-Kosovo. Speaking to reporters, he added, 'I should have gotten it four or five times… They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.' So far, only three U.S. presidents—Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Barack Obama—have received the Nobel nomination is official, but wavering international support and political criticism may complicate the path ahead.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Nearly 50 Vietnamese evacuated from Israel
Hanoi: Nearly 50 Vietnamese citizens have been evacuated from the conflict zone in Israel to Egypt, the state media reported on Wednesday. Several evacuees have already returned to Vietnam, while others are completing necessary procedures to repatriate as soon as possible, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said. The evacuation was carried out through coordinated efforts by the Vietnamese embassies in Israel and Egypt, Vietnam News Agency reported. The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel continues to advise citizens remaining in the conflict area to stay calm, maintain regular contact with the embassy, and strictly follow guidance and warnings issued by local authorities, MOFA and the embassy, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Guterres urges Israel and Iran to fully respect the ceasefire and to stop fighting, noting that the people of the two countries have already suffered too much, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman. "The secretary-general hopes that this ceasefire can be replicated in the other conflicts in the region," said the spokesman on Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel has officially taken effect, urging both sides to maintain restraint. "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!" Trump posted on social media platform Truth Social. The announcement came amid escalating violence in the Middle East, but President Trump's declaration appeared to catch both parties off guard. The ceasefire claim was quickly contradicted by Iran, which asserted it had not received any formal proposal from Washington and had not agreed to a bilateral ceasefire. Earlier in the day, President Trump wrote, "Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, 'Peace'! I knew the time was NOW. The World, and the Middle East, are the real winners!" "Both Nations will see tremendous love, peace and prosperity in their futures. They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of righteousness and truth. The future for Israel & Iran is unlimited, & filled with great promise. God bless you both!" he added. Earlier, Iran announced a unilateral halt to its military operations against Israel, effective 4 a.m. local time, but made it clear that the pause was conditional, based entirely on whether Israel would stop its own airstrikes and military actions.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Lawsuit challenges billions of dollars in Trump administration funding cuts
Attorneys general from more than 20 states and Washington, DC, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging billions of dollars in funding cuts made by the Trump administration that would fund everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research. The lawsuit filed in Boston is asking a judge to limit the Trump administration from relying on an obscure clause in the federal regulation to cut grants that don't align with its priorities. Since January, the lawsuit argues that the administration has used that clause to cancel entire programmes and thousands of grants that had been previously awarded to states and grantees. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo "Defendants' decision to invoke the Clause to terminate grants based on changed agency priorities is unlawful several times over," the plaintiffs argued. "The rulemaking history of the Clause makes plain that the (Office of Management and Budget) intended for the Clause to permit terminations in only limited circumstances and provides no support for a broad power to terminate grants on a whim based on newly identified agency priorities." Live Events The lawsuit argues the Trump administration has used the clause for the basis of a "slash-and-burn campaign" to cut federal grants. "Defendants have terminated thousands of grant awards made to Plaintiffs, pulling the rug out from under the States, and taking away critical federal funding on which States and their residents rely for essential programmes," the lawsuit added. The White House's Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to a request made Tuesday afternoon for comment. Rhode Island Attorney General Neronha said this lawsuit was just one of several the coalition of mostly Democratic states have filed over funding cuts. For the most part, they have largely succeeded in a string of legal victories to temporarily halt cuts. This one, though, may be the broadest challenge to those funding cuts. "It's no secret that this President has gone to great lengths to intercept federal funding to the states, but what may be lesser known is how the Trump Administration is attempting to justify their unlawful actions," Neronha said in a statement. "Nearly every lawsuit this coalition of Democratic attorneys general has filed against the Administration is related to its unlawful and flagrant attempts to rob Americans of basic programmes and services upon which they rely. Most often, this comes in the form of illegal federal funding cuts, which the Administration attempts to justify via a so-called agency priorities clause." Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the lawsuit aimed to stop funding cuts he described as indiscriminate and illegal. "There is no because I don't like you' or because I don't feel like it anymore' defunding clause in federal law that allows the President to bypass Congress on a whim," Tong said in a statement. "Since his first minutes in office, Trump has unilaterally defunded our police, our schools, our healthcare, and more. He can't do that, and that's why over and over again we have blocked him in court and won back our funding." In Massachusetts, Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the US Department of Agriculture terminated a USD 11 million agreement with the state Department of Agricultural Resources connecting hundreds of farmers to hundreds of food distribution sites while the US Environmental Protection Agency terminated a USD 1 million grant to the state Department of Public Health to reduce asthma triggers in low-income communities. "We cannot stand idly by while this President continues to launch unprecedented, unlawful attacks on Massachusetts' residents, institutions, and economy," Campbell said in a statement. The lawsuit argues that the OMB promulgated the use of the clause in question to justify the cuts. The clause in question, according to the lawsuit, refers to five words that say federal agents can terminate grants if the award "no longer effectuates the programme goals or agency priorities". "The Trump Administration has claimed that five words in this Clause-'no longer effectuates . . . agency priorities'-provide federal agencies with virtually unfettered authority to withhold federal funding any time they no longer wish to support the programmes for which Congress has appropriated funding," the lawsuit said.
