Attorney General Jennings recently won a court order stopping the Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide. In April, AG Jennings joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general to stop the implementation of an Executive Order by the Trump administration that would dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).
“The thousands of museums and libraries across our country generate a value that is greater than any line item on a budget,” Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a press release. “They provide intellectual and spiritual nourishment; they stoke joy, curiosity, and creativity. Regrettably, this administration has continuously decided to try and stamp those things out, all the while attempting to undermine essential support systems for workers and minority entrepreneurs. With this order, a decisive message has been sent to Washington: we will not sit idly by while you try to dismantle the fabric of America’s most beloved institutions, and we will not let you wreak havoc on workers or small businesses. We will fight you, and we will win.”
The order attempts to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress. The preliminary injunction granted halts the dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order:
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IMLS, which supports museums and libraries nationwide through grantmaking, research, and policy development;
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MBDA, which promotes the growth and inclusion of minority-owned businesses through federal financial assistance programs; and
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FMCS, which promotes the peaceful resolution of labor disputes.
In the lawsuit, the coalition asserts that dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout Delaware and the nation that rely on them to provide important services to the public, including funding their libraries, promoting minority-owned businesses, and protecting workers’ rights.
The preliminary injunction granted stops the Trump administration’s Executive Order as it applies to IMLS, MBDA, and FMCS. The court found that the states had established a strong likelihood of success on their claims that the Executive Order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and disregards the Constitution by attempting to dismantle agencies that Congress established and funded by law.
Joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
