New York Attorney General Letitia James, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, characterized the funding freeze as an element of an ongoing “campaign of chaos and retribution” that will disproportionately harm “the most vulnerable families.”
A coalition of attorneys general has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that the White House broke the law when by freezing more than $10 billion in federal funds intended for child care and family assistance programs.
In a statement announcing the freeze, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the reduction was limited in scope, targeting five Democratic-led states due to “serious concerns about widespread fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, has failed to provide any evidence to support its claims of widespread misconduct. Furthermore, the attorneys general say their states were given less than two weeks to produce “virtually all documents associated with the implementation of the three critical programs impacted by the funding freeze, as well as years of data—including personally identifiable information—concerning individuals who received benefits under those programs.”
“The American people are sick and tired of President Trump’s lawlessness, lies, and misinformation campaigns. It is especially pathetic that, once again, his Administration’s actions are inflicting harm on the most vulnerable among us. As a society, we are rightly judged by how we treat our neighbors in need, and this is a shameful way to treat them,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “With each passing day, his ‘America First’ rhetoric is exposed as nothing more than smoke and mirrors. If he thinks that his attacks on Democratic-led states will cause us to bend to his will, he is sorely mistaken. For the 53rd time, the Trump Administration has broken the law, and for the 53rd time, I’m taking them to court.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit, characterized the funding freeze as an element of an ongoing “campaign of chaos and retribution” that will disproportionately harm “the most vulnerable families.”
“I will not allow this administration to play political games with the resources families need to help make ends meet,” James said in a statement.
The Trump administration, for its part, claims that the freeze is necessary to reduce and eliminate waste.
“Democrat-led states and governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said. “Under the Trump administration, we are ensuring that federal taxpayer dollars are being used for legitimate purposes.”
Surces
5 Democratic States Sue Trump Administration Over $10 Billion Funding Freeze
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