Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a $1.2 billion freeze in federal funding, arguing that it threatens crucial state projects and violates constitutional requirements. This legal action marks a significant confrontation between Shapiro and the Trump administration.
The Funding Freeze
Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh Shapiro, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in response to a funding freeze that hindered the state’s financial inflow by more than $1.2 billion. The action challenges the January 27 directive from the Trump era that led to the withholding of billions in federal grants and loans approved by Congress.
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s funding freeze, and claimed Pennsylvania isn’t able to get $1.2 billion that it’s owed. https://t.co/OsNBJyy8sD
— Pittsburgh Business Times (@PghBizTimes) February 13, 2025
Pennsylvania’s specific environmental recovery and economic stability needs make Shapiro’s lawsuit crucial. The funds were set aside for vital projects, including reclaiming abandoned mines, maintaining water treatment systems, and providing utility relief to 28,000 residents.
Litigation Endeavors
The legal complaint accuses federal agencies of “flagrantly lawless” actions, insisting they lack the authority to withhold funds approved by Congress due to policy disagreements. In Philadelphia’s federal court on February 13, Governor Shapiro pressed for restoring these critical funds.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s funding freeze, accusing several federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of unlawfully withholding more than $1.2 billion in federal funding owed to Pennsylvania…
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) February 13, 2025
“To protect Pennsylvania’s interests and the funding appropriated to us by Congress, I’m left with no choice but to pursue legal action to defend our Commonwealth,” the governor said.
Despite existing court orders to reinstate funding, Pennsylvania remains denied access. Federal judges ordered interim relief, but the funds remain inaccessible, complicating the balance of state obligations.
Potential Impacts
The funding impasse risks leaving Pennsylvania with crippling debts and unmanageable obligations for approved federal projects. The additional $900 million under review remains shrouded in federal red tape with no clarity on its availability or timing for release.
“Over the past two weeks, my team and I have engaged with our Congressional delegation to try to restore access to all the federal funding Pennsylvania has been promised under the law–but despite those efforts, state agencies remain unable to draw down these critical dollars” – Shapiro.
Shapiro argues these funds are vital for immediate projects and planning through 2037. The state’s legal efforts reflect a broader tension between federal directives and the states’ rights to funds congressionally allocated.
Sources:
https://www.abc27.com/news/governor-shapiro-suing-trump-administration-over-funding-freeze/