RI AG Co-Leads Group Suing Trump Administration To Protect Funding For Libraries, More

RHODE ISLAND — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on Friday, co-led a coalition of 20 state attorney generals in suing President Donald Trump's administration in an effort to protect funding for public libraries, museums, minority-owned small businesses, and workers.

In March, the Trump administration issued an executive order that would dismantle federal agencies created by Congress that provide hundreds of millions of dollars for programs in every state, Neronha said. The Trump Administration has argued the executive order cuts unnecessary spending and personnel.

Because of the executive order, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — one of three targeted agencies – has placed almost its entire staff on administrative leave and will cut hundreds of grants for state libraries and museums, according to the coalition.

Also, the labor organizing staff and programs of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) have been slashed, and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has been forced to cut its grant programs that support small business owners. The lawsuit filed by Neronha and the coalition seeks to stop "the targeted destruction of the IMLS and the two other agencies targeted in the administration’s EO that millions of Americans rely on, especially those in underserved communities."

"As the President and his administration continue their attempts to dismantle the federal government, Americans would do well to consider their priorities," Neronha said. "What do these three agencies have in common? At first glance, maybe little. But if you take a closer look, you may realize that all three agencies empower everyday people in this country to access their full potential, whether it be through knowledge, workers’ rights, or small business support. By unlawfully attacking these agencies, they are attempting to stifle the American dream. We won’t let them, and neither should you."

According to the coalition, dismantling these agencies will have "devastating effects on communities throughout Rhode Island and the nation that rely on them to provide important services to the public." Rhode Island’s Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) received nearly $1.5 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in 2024. These funds support about half of OLIS’s staff, programs, and services in Rhode Island.

The FMCS has slashed its staff from roughly 200 to fewer than 15 people and announced the termination of several of its core programs. According to the lawsuit, this makes it harder for unionized workers to secure their rights.

The coalition argued the president cannot decide to unilaterally override laws governing federal spending, and that this executive order unconstitutionally overrides Congress’s power to decide how federal funds are spent.

Neronha is co-leading the lawsuit with Attorney General Letitia James of New York, and Attorney General Anne Lopez of Hawaii. Joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

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