A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration has not fully complied with his order to unfreeze federal spending and directed the White House to release all the money that had been withheld. U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell found evidence that certain federal grants and loans were still being withheld from recipients and mandated that the funds be released promptly.
Judge McConnell had previously halted the Trump administration's plans for a broad freeze of federal funding in late January, citing concerns that the freeze was unconstitutional and causing harm to a significant portion of the country. The administration had argued that the pause was necessary to align federal spending with the president's agenda.
The judge's ruling also blocked the administration from implementing billions of dollars in cuts to the National Institutes of Health that were announced recently. The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on the ruling but has stated in court documents that it was working to comply with the judge's orders in good faith.
The Justice Department contended that the judge's ruling did not extend to other spending pauses, including those related to President Joe Biden's key initiatives on climate, healthcare, and tax policies. However, Judge McConnell disagreed with this interpretation.
This ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen states challenging the administration's freeze on federal funding. Another federal judge in Washington had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the funding freeze plan and expressed concerns about delays in funding for nonprofit organizations.
