Trump Spending Freeze Temporarily Blocked by Federal Judge
- Federal judge says states that sued are likely to prevail
- Trump has said the spending pause is needed to prevent waste
The White House in Washington, DC.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Trump administration likely violated federal law with a controversial directive that aimed to pause spending on potentially trillions of dollars of grants and loans to a vast array of recipients across the country, a judge said in putting the plan on hold.
A temporary restraining order against the spending pause was issued Friday by Chief US District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island, who said a group of nearly two dozen Democratic-led states are likely to succeed in their lawsuit challenging the White House plan.