A second federal judge has intervened to block former President Donald Trump’s spending freeze, ruling that the policy is likely unconstitutional and preventing the administration from carrying out broad defunding efforts while the legal battle unfolds.
This marks the second legal setback for Trump’s attempt to halt federal spending that Congress has already approved. Earlier this week, another judge in a separate lawsuit temporarily blocked a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that had ordered the freeze.
The OMB directive, issued earlier this month, called for a pause on federal aid and grant disbursements to allow officials to review spending programs for compliance with Trump’s executive orders. However, after strong backlash from critics and even some of Trump’s allies, the OMB rescinded the directive just two days later.
The latest ruling, issued by Judge McConnell, goes even further than the previous court order. McConnell’s decision bars the administration from implementing any systematic efforts to defund federal programs while the states seek long-term relief. McConnell, an Obama-era appointee from Rhode Island, cited public statements from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, arguing that the administration still intended to enforce the freeze despite formally withdrawing the OMB memo.
“The evidence in the record at this point shows that, despite the rescission of the OMB Directive, the Executive’s decision to pause appropriated federal funds ‘remains in full force and effect,’” McConnell wrote, referencing a post by Leavitt on X in which she downplayed the significance of the OMB’s reversal.
The judge also suggested that the withdrawal of the OMB directive may have been a strategic move to avoid judicial review, writing: “The evidence shows that the alleged rescission of the OMB Directive was in name only and may have been issued simply to defeat the jurisdiction of the courts. The substantive effect of the directive carries on.”
The legal challenge, brought by state attorneys general, argues that Trump’s spending freeze violates the separation of powers, as the Constitution grants Congress—not the president—control over federal spending. Judge McConnell agreed with that assessment, ruling that the states are likely to prevail in their lawsuit.
With the court blocking enforcement of the spending freeze, the administration may now face further legal obstacles as it seeks to implement its budget policies.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.