A federal judge rules US government has defied a previous ruling that suspended president’s sweeping order to freeze federal spending.
A United States federal judge has ruled that the administration of President Donald Trump did not fully comply with his order halting a federal spending freeze that has thrown the government into chaos.
On Monday, US District Judge John McConnell called for all funding to be restored, as courts consider whether the spending freeze is constitutional.
States had reported continued trouble accessing federal funds, even after McConnell paused the Trump administration’s freeze on January 31.
“These pauses in funding violate the plain text of the [temporary restraining order],” McConnell wrote. “The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country.”
The funding freeze is part of an effort by Trump and his right-wing allies to slash what they consider unnecessary federal spending.
But a group of 22 largely Democratic-led states, plus the District of Columbia, sued to block the move, arguing that Trump had overstepped his constitutional authority by deciding budget matters, a power held by Congress.
“The President cannot unilaterally halt congressional spending commitments,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a news release after the temporary restraining order was granted.
But last week, the states told McConnell’s court in Rhode Island that the Trump administration has continued to withhold federal funds.
That includes nearly $4.5bn for home electrification rebate funds, $7bn for rooftop solar panels, $5bn for greenhouse gas reduction efforts and $117m for air quality monitoring.
Lawyers for the Trump administration, meanwhile, argued that McConnell’s restraining order did not apply to certain programmes, including funds for healthcare and climate change initiatives passed under former President Joe Biden.
They also maintained that McConnell’s order was targeted at a Trump administration memo that has since been withdrawn.
But on Monday, McConnell confirmed that his order had been “clear and unambiguous” in its scope.
It also warned the Trump administration against any further attempt to subvert the will of the court.
“Persons who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt even if the order is ultimately ruled incorrect,” McConnell wrote.
The ruling added that the temporary restraining order also affects billions of dollars in funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that the White House announced on Friday.
McConnell was the second federal judge to pause Trump’s federal funding freeze, after US District Judge Loren AliKhan made a similar ruling on January 28 at the request of nonprofit and advocacy groups like Democracy Forward.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump and his advisers like billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk have sought to reduce spending and hollow out government agencies that have long been targets of conservative ire.
That includes offers of buyouts for government employees to encourage them to quit their jobs.
The administration has also ordered a suspension of nearly all US funding for overseas assistance and has moved to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
