Today, Governor Josh Shapiro filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s freeze of federal funding.
According to a press release from the Governor’s office, as of today – even after multiple court orders to release the federal funds and Governor Shapiro’s engagement with Pennsylvania’s federal representatives — state agencies still remain entirely unable to access $1.2 billion in federal funding, with an additional $900 million requiring an undefined review by federal agencies before it can be drawn down. The release states that “To ensure the interests of our Commonwealth and its residents are protected, Governor Shapiro is taking legal action to restore access to this funding.”
The Governor states that these funds would go to protecting public health, cutting energy costs, providing safe, clean drinking water, and creating jobs in rural communities.
Almost immediately after the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive on January 27, 2025, Commonwealth agencies realized that billions in federal funding appropriated by Congress to Pennsylvania were no longer accessible.
The Governor’s release states that Federal agencies suspended access to billions of dollars in funding without supplying a plausible explanation as to why certain funds are being suspended, giving any consideration to the harm their action would cause, or considering how Commonwealth agencies have relied on receiving that committed funding. Shapiro states that this action is unconstitutional.
