Attorney General Dan Rayfield, along with 22 other state attorneys general, has filed a motion seeking further enforcement of a temporary restraining order against a federal funding freeze. This freeze was ordered by President Trump's Office of Management and Budget. The coalition is urging the court to make this relief more permanent through a preliminary injunction. They argue that without additional relief, the administration is likely to resume the freeze, which would cut off access to essential federal funds for programs related to food relief, healthcare, and public safety.
"Without access to this money, Oregonians and people in all states will be greatly harmed," said Rayfield. "We’ve seen that we cannot trust this administration to act in the best interest of our citizens, as they continue to weaponize their federal agencies."
The coalition also aims to enforce the court's initial temporary restraining order further. They claim that the federal government has not unfrozen critical infrastructure funds from acts such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"This funding not only bolsters and modernizes critical infrastructure but it also creates good paying jobs while simultaneously reducing harmful pollution," Rayfield stated.
Two weeks ago, when granting the temporary restraining order against the funding freeze, a judge noted that neither the Constitution nor federal spending statutes grant the president authority for such actions.
The attorneys general joining Rayfield in filing these motions include representatives from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island Vermont Washington and Wisconsin.