Yesterday (January 31, 2025,) Rhode Island Judge John McConnell, acting on a lawsuit spearheaded by 23 states, including Arizona, blocked the Trump Administrations attempt to freeze federal spending that had already been approved by Congress and signed into law by the Biden/Harris Administration.
He is the second judge to issue a freeze. Last week, D.C. Federal Judge, Loren AliKhan, acting on behalf of a lawsuit filed by Not for Profits, also froze a Trump Executive Order designed to do just that.
In an attempt to get around that ruling, the Trump/Vance Administration rescinded the order but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented on social media that the funding freeze “remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented.”
That prompted the second ruling from Judge McConnell who wrote in his decision:
“During the pendency of the Temporary Restraining Order, Defendants shall not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate Defendants’ compliance with awards and obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the States, and Defendants shall not impede the States’ access to such awards and obligations, except on the basis of the applicable authorizing statutes, regulations, and terms.”
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes praised Judge McConnell’s ruling, stating in a press release:
“I’m proud to be one step closer to permanently protecting funding for Arizona police officers, our drug cartel task forces, and critical public safety infrastructure, not to mention funding that helps Arizona families keep food on the table and the lights on,” said Attorney General Mayes. “I’m all for stamping out waste, fraud, and abuse — that’s what we do every day in the Attorney General’s office — but I will not allow Trump to shred the constitution and override funding already allocated to Arizona and other states by Congress.”
Later on social media, her team posted:
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