House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force Leads 157 Members of Congress in Urging Court to Unfreeze Federal Funds
Washington, D.C. — The Litigation Task Force led 157 House Democrats in filing an amicus brief challenging the Office of Management and Budget’s unlawful freezing of congressional appropriated funds in order to further President Trump’s reckless agenda. Their argument makes clear that the President cannot unilaterally bypass the Congress—and thereby the will of the American people—and withhold appropriated funds based on his own priorities or policy preferences. It also underscores that under the United States Constitution, Congress has the exclusive power to appropriate funds and to make laws governing their use.
The unlawful freezing of more than $425 billion in congressionally authorized funding has not only trampled on the legislative process but has inflicted irreparable damage on communities across the country—blocking critical investments that families, businesses, and local governments rely on. Frozen funds include support allotted to local law enforcement, education programs, food assistance, broadband and power grid investments, emergency response and preparedness, science and research, and much more. A comprehensive tracker, as of June 3rd, is available HERE.
The amicus brief was led by Task Force Chair Joe Neguse and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro. It was filed in the matter of New York v. Trump, a case filed by 22 Democratic Attorneys General before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
See what they had to say below:
“By illegally freezing funding authorized by the Congress, President Trump and his administration have undermined the rule of law and the will of the American people—harming American families, businesses, local law enforcement, and many others,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse. “But House Democrats are fighting back—and today, we’re calling on the courts to block this blatantly unlawful order.”
“Trump’s scheme to unilaterally withhold billions of dollars of federal funding supporting crucial programs is in direct defiance of federal law and plainly violates Congressional power over the purse,” said House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin. “The reason there are now more than 200 federal injunctions and restraining orders issued against the Trump Administration is because it keeps trying to usurp Congressional appropriations powers, defunding federal programs in education, community safety, violence prevention, disaster relief, and more. House Democrats will keep defending our essential and primary spending power against Trump’s astounding lawlessness and ignorance of the Constitution."
“Instead of addressing the cost-of-living crisis, since his first day in office, President Trump has been played like a fiddle by unelected bureaucrat Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought into stealing funds promised to Americans,” said House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro. “This is not complicated: Democrats and Republicans in Congress passed, and the President signed into law, billions in investments in critical infrastructure and support for middle class and working class families and small businesses, and those promises must be delivered. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, and nowhere does it give the President any unilateral power to either temporarily or permanently impound—steal—funds appropriated by Congress. American taxpayers, veterans, farmers, and communities across this country are owed these investments. The American people did not elect President Trump to steal from them, and House Democrats will continue to fight this theft each and every day. That is why I am proud to join my Democratic colleagues in this amicus brief to stand up for Congress’s constitutional role in funding decisions and for all of our constituents across the country.”
The full brief is available HERE.
Background on the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force
Since assuming office, Donald Trump has relentlessly assaulted the rule of law, threatening the American way of life and unleashing unprecedented levels of rising costs, chaos, and corruption. In direct response to this, the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force was established to develop comprehensive legislative, oversight, and legal strategies—to vindicate the Constitution and the rights of the people. The group first took the unprecedented step of filing a trial court amicus brief to defend American consumers from predatory lenders and bad actors. They were successful in this case after a federal judge blocked efforts to dismantle the CFPB, citing the group’s argument multiple times throughout the 112-page ruling. Since then, they’ve filed 13 amicus briefs in direct response to unlawful actions from the executive, including the illegal imposition of tariffs, attacks on the constitutional principle of birthright citizenship, and the dismantling of key federal agencies.
For more information on House Democrats' efforts to protect everyday Americans from the unlawful actions of the Trump Administration, visit litigationandresponse.house.gov.
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