New Jersey Attorney General Matt Plakin joined several other attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s freeze of federal grants and loans.
Organizations across the country were thrown into disarray Monday night when the Trump administration announced the freeze, which they said is necessary to conduct an ideological review of federal spending. Democrats across the country have pilloried the moves, with many arguing President Donald Trump is attempting to undermine Congress’s authority to appropriate funding.
It’s still unclear what programs, aid, and grants are affected by the freeze. The released language is vague and, at times, contradictory.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said 20 states have been frozen out of their Medicaid systems since Monday’s order, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wasn’t able to say Tuesday whether Medicaid falls under the order. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has since said SNAP, Medicare, and “any direct benefit to individuals” will not be affected.
“[Trump] does not get to wake up in the morning or after an afternoon nap and direct his entire government to stop funding critical services that Congress has duly authorized and appropriated, that millions and millions of Americans, Republicans, Democrats, independents, children, adults, seniors depend on for life-saving care,” Platkin said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
White House officials said the funding freeze is necessary to ensure federal funding is in line with Trump’s executive orders, the Associated Press reported. Some of Trump’s initial orders worked to reverse protections related to transgender rights, environmental justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Platkin didn’t specify whether any programs in New Jersey have been affected, but Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states.
At least five other attorneys general will join the suit: Letitia James of New York, Rob Bonta of California, Kwame Raoul of Illinois, Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts, and Peter Neronha of Rhode Island. James, Bonta, and Raoul are co-leading the action. James said the suit will be filed later today and the group will seek an order to block the freeze from taking place.
Senator Andy Kim blasted the freeze Tuesday, saying the administration’s goal is to “sow chaos.”
This isn’t Platkin’s first lawsuit against the Trump administration: The attorney general sued Trump last week over an executive order that would have limited birthright citizenship. Platkin called that executive order a “clearly unconstitutional” interpretation of the 14th Amendment. The birthright citizenship executive order was temporarily blocked by a judge in Washington in a separate but similar lawsuit.
“The lesson here for this administration is we are prepared,” Platkin said. “We are prepared to stand up for the rule of law. We are prepared to stand up for the residents of our state and of this nation when he unconstitutionally and unlawfully targets them in ways that hurt them in very real ways.”