“The Executive Put Itself Above Congress”: Judge Extends Block on Trump’s Funding Freeze

A federal judge in Rhode Island has extended a block on President Donald Trump’s domestic funding freeze, ruling that the executive branch overstepped its constitutional authority.

U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from impounding federal funds based on a directive from the Office of Management and Budget. In his ruling, the judge emphasized that only Congress has the power to control federal spending.

“The Executive’s categorical freeze of appropriated and obligated funds fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government,” McConnell wrote. “The interaction of the three co-equal branches of government is an intricate, delicate, and sophisticated balance — but it is crucial to our form of constitutional governance.”

McConnell went on to criticize the administration for exceeding its authority, stating: “Here, the Executive put itself above Congress. It imposed a categorical mandate on the spending of congressionally appropriated and obligated funds without regard to Congress’s authority to control spending. Federal agencies and departments can spend, award, or suspend money based only on the power Congress has given to them – they have no other spending power. The Executive has not pointed to any constitutional or statutory authority that would allow them to impose this type of categorical freeze.”

The injunction was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen Democratic-led states after the Trump administration implemented a sweeping pause on federal spending. The White House had defended the move, arguing that the freeze was necessary to ensure federal payments aligned with the president’s agenda.

McConnell, however, rejected that justification, making it clear that the court was not attempting to interfere with the administration’s discretion but was simply upholding the constitutional limits on executive power.

“The Court is not limiting the Executive’s discretion or micromanaging the administration of federal funds,” the judge wrote. “Rather, consistent with the Constitution, statutes, and caselaw, the Court is simply holding that the Executive’s discretion to impose its own policy preferences on appropriated funds can be exercised only if it is authorized by the congressionally approved appropriations statutes.”

The ruling marks another legal setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to assert broad executive control over government spending, reinforcing the principle that the power of the purse belongs to Congress.