AI Generated Image
Judge rules against use of obscure clause to cancel grants to states
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration cannot use a specific clause related to agency priorities to justify billions of dollars in funding cuts.
- The lawsuit, filed by 23 states, challenged the administration's use of the clause to cut funding for crime prevention, food security, scientific research, and other programs, arguing it was an unlawful "slash-and-burn campaign."
- U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found the administration's interpretation of the clause unsupported by the text, regulatory history, and legal requirements, preventing its use to terminate grants.
- New Jersey’s Attorney General condemned the administration’s actions as illegal and harmful, emphasizing the ruling as a victory for maintaining critical federal funding to states.
- The federal government sought dismissal of the case, arguing some grants were already terminated and future impacts were speculative, but the judge denied this motion, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.
