Among more than 40 federal lawsuits filed against the Trump administration so far, this week has brought major developments in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
On Monday, the chief judge of U.S. District Court in Rhode Island ruled the administration had defied his previous order to unfreeze billions of dollars in federal grants.
Judge John J. McConnell ordered the administration “to immediately end any federal funding pause” so long as his temporary restraining order remains in effect.
Judge McConnell did not find the administration in contempt or impose any penalties. But his ruling was a shot across the bow, marking the first time a federal court has explicitly accused the administration of wilfully defying a court order.
Legal scholars worry it could set the stage for a constitutional crisis.
Over the weekend, Vice President J.D. Vance tweeted that “judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
On Monday, attorneys general from 22 states including Rhode Island filed suit in Massachusetts District Court in an effort to block a major policy change at the National Institutes of Health.
The NIH announced last week it would cap so-called “indirect costs” – money attached to federal research grants to support the overhead costs.
According to the NIH, last year indirect costs amounted to 25% of the $35 billion in grants it gave out.
Katie Miller of the Department of Government Efficiency tweeted that by capping those costs at 15%, “President Trump is doing away with Liberal DEI Deans’ Slush Fund.”
But the state attorneys general called the new policy “arbitrary and capricious” and said it could cause devastating harm to scientific research.
Research institutions in Rhode Island receive more than $250 million a year in NIH grants.
Last year alone:
- Brown University received $139,061,538
- Rhode Island Hospital received $34,189,075
- and the University of Rhode Island received $19,313,058
This story was reported by The Public’s Radio.
