23 Democratic attorneys general sue Trump over chaotic funding shutdown
The Trump administration’s unprecedented, sweeping freeze on $3 trillion in federal grants and aid sent shockwaves through vulnerable communities and every level of government on Tuesday, but Democratic attorneys general quickly banded together to fight back. Twenty-three states filed a lawsuit just minutes after U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan blocked the freeze Tuesday afternoon. The administrative stay pauses the action until Monday, according to the Associated Press.
Donald Trump’s latest stunt would have halted essential programs like Medicaid and Head Start, which are vital lifelines for low-income communities who rely on them for school meals, health care, and early childhood education. The funding freeze also jeopardizes critical education initiatives like Pell Grants and ESSA funding, which help students access college, and child care block grants that support working families.
Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii announced on Tuesday that health care providers in multiple states had been locked out of the Medicaid portal, essentially blocking Medicaid payments and jeopardizing medical treatment.
“This is a Trump shutdown, except this time it’s unlawful,” he wrote on BlueSky.
A mere four hours after the funding freeze first made headlines, Democratic attorneys generals from six states held a press conference to announce they were forming a multistate coalition to sue the Trump administration over the shutdown. Filed late Tuesday, the lawsuit seeks an immediate court order to stop the policy’s enforcement and keep funds flowing and was brought by Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, 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.
New York Attorney General Letitia James called Trump’s order “reckless, dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional.”
“When the president and his administration, with the stroke of a pen, issues an unconstitutional and unlawful directive that freezes that funding simply because he doesn’t like something about our state, about a particular person in our state, about a policy that duly enacted in our state that’s totally unrelated … he not only violates the laws and the constitution of this nation, he violates the norms of who we are as a people,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha emphasized that Trump’s shutdown affects everyone, not just the vengeful president’s perceived political enemies.
“If you drive on a road, you’re impacted,” Neronha said. “If you get health care, you’re impacted. If your children are being educated, you’re impacted. If you believe in public safety, you’re impacted. If you’re a man or woman in blue, and all of you who are protected by them, you’re impacted.”
Some of Trump’s reliable Republican cronies were quick to defend the brazen move, including Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia, who defended the decision to take school meals away from children during a Tuesday interview with CNN.
McCormick said those kids should work for McDonald’s instead of “sponging off the government.”
“Before I was even 13 years old, I was picking berries in the field before child labor laws that precluded that. I was a paper boy, and when I was in high school, I worked my entire way through,” McCormick bragged. “You’re telling me that kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King, McDonald’s during the summer, should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work? I think we need to have a top-down review.”
One Bluesky user sarcastically commented, “Hey, hungry 8-year-olds. Get off your lazy ass and get an after school job to pay for your food!”
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that the House Democratic Caucus will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to strategize about how to challenge Trump’s order in court and what message to communicate to constituents.
“Republicans are ripping off hardworking Americans by stealing taxpayer dollars, grants, and financial assistance as part of their corrupt scheme to pay off billionaire donors and wealthy corporations,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The Republican Rip Off will raise the cost of living for the working class, while hurting children, seniors, veterans, first responders, houses of worship and everyday Americans in need.”