Federal Judge Halts Trump Teen-Pregnancy Grant Changes, Deepening Fight Over $7.6 Billion Cuts
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Aug 21
Federal Judge Halts Trump Teen-Pregnancy Grant Changes, Deepening Fight Over $7.6 Billion Cuts
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Aug 21
Summary
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from changing teen-pregnancy prevention grants, ruling it cannot add conditions Congress did not intend or justify after awards were made.
That order follows another ruling last month barring agencies from canceling grants under new after-the-fact rules, adding to court scrutiny of White House spending tactics.
In a separate case, the administration acknowledged canceling $7.6 billion in grants based solely on the political identity of recipients' states, sharpening claims that it is encroaching on Congress' power of the purse.
Capitol Hill Republicans have not promised to stop another pocket rescission this year, while Democrats are pressing Congress—not just the courts—to reassert control over federal spending.
The Supreme Court still has not issued a definitive ruling on the administration's spending maneuvers, leaving the broader constitutional fight unresolved.