AGs Tong, Neronha praise Judge McConnell for funding freeze TRO

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorneys General Peter F. Neronha of Rhode Island and William Tong of Connecticut applauded federal Judge John McConnell Jr.’s granting today of several states’ motion for a temporary restraining order in the multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration for its widespread federal funding freeze.
“Judge McConnell’s ruling in our favor was swift, and unsurprising,” Neronha said in a statement released today. “As the Court noted, 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,’ and that ‘these pauses in funding violate the plain text of the TRO.’
“It is now time for the Administration to come into full compliance. This is a country of laws. We expect the Administration to follow the law.

Judge McConnell Jr. emphasized the criminal nature of President Donald Trump’s actions if his administration does not abide by any court order in this matter.

“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 states in his decision. He further states: “The States have presented evidence in this motion that the Defendants in some cases have continued to improperly freeze federal funds and refused to resume disbursement of appropriated federal funds.”
The court ordered that the defendants “immediately restore frozen funding” and end all federal funding pauses. The court emphasizes the defendants “must comply with the plain text of the TRO” and “immediately restore withheld funds, including those federal funds appropriated in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act,” as well as “resume the funding of institutes and other agencies of the Defendants (for example the National Institute for Health) that are included in the scope of the Court’s TRO.”

In is his order, Judge McConnell stated that “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 the vast portion of this country.”

Attorney General William Tong could not agree more with Judge McConnell.

“This order could not be clearer. Those who refuse to obey a court order risk criminal contempt,”  Tong said. “We expect the federal government to immediately release all illegally withheld funding to our states, and we will not back down until that happens.

“Let’s be clear once again about what Donald Trump wants to do — Donald Trump wants to defund Connecticut schools. He wants to defund the police. He wants to defund Connecticut highways. He wants to defund energy assistance when so many Connecticut families are desperate for relief. He wants to defund efforts to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and fossil fuels. And his Administration is daring courts to stop them.”
Tong and a coalition of 22 attorneys general sued on Jan. 28 to stop the Trump Administration from freezing nearly $3 trillion in federal assistance funding allocated to the states for critical programs and services vital to people nationwide. The states secured a temporary restraining order, which remains in place.