"First Case of Judicial Defiance by Trump Administration"
The U.S. federal court has ruled that the Donald Trump administration is not properly complying with the judiciary's order regarding the suspension of government subsidy disbursements, which had been halted by the administration but put on hold due to court intervention.
As the Trump administration's aggressive attempts to cut fiscal spending are repeatedly being blocked by the courts, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 10th (local time) that this is the first explicit declaration by a judge that the White House has failed to comply with a court order.
According to the report, John McConnell, a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, repeatedly ordered the Trump administration to "take all necessary measures to immediately implement" his decision to restore the suspension of government subsidy program funding.
Earlier, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) notified government agencies on the afternoon of the 28th of last month that it would temporarily suspend federal government subsidy and loan disbursements, but withdrew this action following a court order to put the suspension on hold.
In this process, Judge McConnell ordered a halt to the suspension of fund disbursement until a substantive judgment is made, in response to a preliminary injunction request filed by attorneys general from 22 states led by Democratic governors, asking to stop the administration's action.
However, the states that filed the lawsuit requested Judge McConnell to issue a follow-up order, stating that despite the court order, funding for several subsidy programs is still not being disbursed. They argue that the OMB is not complying with the court order to resume fund disbursement as originally directed.
The White House argued that the Trump administration's executive orders targeting federal-level spending related to the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives and climate change remain valid in relation to the continued suspension of fund disbursement.
However, Judge McConnell rejected this White House claim and ruled that the OMB did not comply with the "clear language" of the court order issued on the 29th of last month, once again ordering compliance with his decision.
The NYT emphasized that attention should be paid to the timing of Judge McConnell's order on this day, which came shortly after Vice President JD Vance posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on the 9th, stating, "Judges are not allowed to control the legitimate authority of the administration," targeting the judiciary.
The NYT also assessed, "This court decision signals the beginning of a phase that could rapidly escalate into a sharp confrontation between the administration and the judiciary."
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