Woonsocket Radio News Room

Attorney General Neronha files motion to enforce court order to unfreeze federal funding

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Neronha today co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a motion for enforcement of their ongoing lawsuit against President Trump over his administration’s funding freeze. The freeze would put an indefinite pause on the majority of federal funding and financial assistance, jeopardizing vital programs that support families, promote public safety, and provide essential services to communities nationwide.

Citing evidence of ongoing disruptions impacting disbursements to states, and federal funds that remain blocked under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA) despite the court’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), the coalition also seeks to enforce the TRO to require the Trump Administration to disperse these funds. The motion further highlights the harm states face if funds under the IRA and the IIJA are not allocated as required by statute.

“As long as this Administration continues to break the law, we will continue our fight to uphold it,” said Attorney General Neronha. “When Judge McConnell granted our TRO last Friday, he ordered the resumption of all federal funding that had been previously severed by the Administration’s new OMB policy. And yet, since then, states and federal funding recipients across the country have reported trouble accessing their congressionally allocated funds. These lingering funding pauses are not coincidental. So let me be as crystal clear as Judge McConnell’s order: we’re not interested in playing these games, especially when it comes to funding programs that Americans rely on to survive and thrive.”

Due to ongoing disruptions impacting disbursements to states despite the court’s TRO, efforts that bolster clean energy investments, transportation, infrastructure, and ensure critical health care, among others, have been put at risk. This includes some Brown University public health research endeavors funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One project researching dementia care was scheduled for renewal review with the NIH on February 3, but that morning, NIH notified Brown that they were cancelling the meeting to review Brown’s renewal application. Other ongoing research at Brown that relies on federal funding includes projects to improve children's nutrition and to prevent coronary heart disease.

Without access to federal financial assistance, many states could face immediate cash shortfalls, making it difficult to administer basic programs. For example, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has several projects which rely on federal funding, including grants that support local farmers, improve access to fresh and local produce, and provide food access for underserved, low-income communities in Rhode Island. If its funding continues to stay frozen, DEM cannot administer these programs, pay their contractual obligations, or support payroll for a number of staff.

This lawsuit is led by Attorney General Neronha and the attorneys general of California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.