Attorney General Peter F. Neronha expressed his commitment to defending the Constitution following a recent court decision. Chief Justice John J. McConnell, Jr. granted a preliminary injunction against President Trump's executive order that aimed to freeze federal funding allocated by Congress to states.
Neronha stated, “Immediately following President Trump’s Inauguration, he made his feelings about the Constitution known through a barrage of executive orders, many of which attempted to subvert the rule of law in favor of illegal executive power. We don’t have kings in this country, and today’s preliminary injunction reaffirms that.”
He emphasized the importance of Congress's role in allocating taxpayer dollars towards agencies and programs beneficial to citizens' daily lives. He criticized the President's funding freeze as "destructive" and contrary to the principle of separation of powers.
Neronha remarked on the significance of Judge McConnell's decision: “There is a silver lining here: right now, the Judicial Branch stands strong. Judge McConnell decided to grant our request for a preliminary injunction, so that this case may be heard on its merits, because frankly, the law is on our side."
The Attorney General concluded with a call for unity and vigilance against attempts to undermine constitutional principles: “We have a long road ahead of us, to be sure. But today’s decision reminds us that the President cannot amend the Constitution with the stroke of a pen... We must come together and assert that in America, the power of the people will always trump the power of one man.”