A coalition of state attorneys general has accused the Trump administration of persistently obstructing access to federal funding for state climate initiatives, defying a court ruling to release the frozen funds.
The group, consisting of 22 state attorneys general and Washington, D.C.’s attorney general, took legal action to enforce a federal judge’s order against President Donald Trump's broad freeze on federal funding, which had triggered their initial lawsuit on January 28.
Legal Battle Escalates
During a virtual press conference, California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized the unnecessary nature of their legal intervention, stating, “The reality is that we shouldn’t have to be here. If the president followed the law, we wouldn’t have to be here.”
Bonta highlighted the administration's non-compliance with disbursing grants to states under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, despite the court mandating the continuous flow of funds.
Violation of Court Order
Calling the administration's actions a blatant violation of the court order, Bonta justified their return to court, emphasizing the affected programs such as the Home Electrification and Appliances Rebates Program, the Solar for All initiative, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, and the national air monitoring network and research program.
Following the filing of the motion, U.S. District Judge John McConnell, appointed by President Barack Obama, promptly instructed the Justice Department to address the alleged violations by the upcoming Sunday deadline.
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