“We’re not talking about nibbling at the edges of the President’s authority,” New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said. “We’re talking about ignoring the entirety of the United States Constitution, throwing duly enacted statutes out the window, simply because the President of this country doesn’t like it. That’s not permissible under our legal system.” (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin and other Democratic attorneys general said Tuesday they are suing the Trump administration to block its freeze of trillions in federal funding, calling the action unconstitutional and illegal.
“The president in this country is powerful. He is not a king,” Platkin said. “He 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 and attorneys general from New York, Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, and Illinois told reporters that President Donald Trump’s Monday night directive was so “deliberately” vague that states were left guessing which projects and services would be impacted.
New Jersey received $27.5 billion in federal funds to support state-administered programs and services and supplement its $56.6 billion fiscal 2025 budget.
In New Jersey and other states, federal money funds transportation projects, food assistance, crime-fighting efforts, and other programs and services. Gov. Phil Murphy convened staff members Tuesday afternoon to discuss the freeze.
“We’re taking legal action and closely monitoring impacts on our residents,” Murphy said on social media.
The lawsuit announced Tuesday was the second that states have filed against the Trump administration, which has only been in office one full week. States also sued to stop an executive order Trump issued last week to redefine birthright citizenship.
During a press briefing Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James said state officials were busy throughout the first Trump administration, suing to stop destructive policies. Then, she added, states won 80% of their cases against the feds.
“It’s important that individuals understand that what we are doing is protecting democracy and the rule of law,” James said. “We, again, have all indicated that we are prepared to work with this administration, but when it comes to a clear violation of the law, we will not be silent. We will not sit idly by and allow individuals to trespass on the rights of Americans.”
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the freeze is necessary to give administration officials time to review federal spending. She said it would not affect direct aid to individuals, but it’s unclear whether that would apply to federal assistance that flows through states to individuals.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.