FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 4, 2025
ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUES TO STOP TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ATTACK ON LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS AND WORKERS
AG Tong Joins Coalition Suing to Stop Dismantling of Federal Agencies That Support Libraries, Museums, Minority-Owned Businesses, and Workers
(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide. In March, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order that would dismantle federal agencies created by Congress that collectively provide hundreds of millions of dollars for programs in every state. As a result of this Executive Order, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – one of the targeted agencies – has placed almost its entire staff on administrative leave and will cut hundreds of grants for state libraries and museums. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Tong and the coalition seeks to stop the targeted destruction of the IMLS and two other agencies targeted in the administration’s EO that millions of Americans rely on.
“We are back in court yet again today to block the latest in this never-ending torrent of illegal attacks on our families and workers. We had to sue to stop Trump from defunding our schools and cancer cures, from defunding energy assistance and vaccines, from defunding disaster relief and the police. Now, we have to sue again to stop him from defunding summer reading programs and audiobooks for disabled veterans. This is more lawless and needless hurt inflicted on Connecticut families and workers, and we’re fighting back with everything we’ve got,” said Attorney General Tong.
This Executive Order is the administration’s latest attempt to dismantle federal agencies in defiance of Congress. Attorney General Tong and the coalition are seeking to stop the dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order:
1. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which supports museums and libraries nationwide;
2. The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which promotes the growth and inclusion of minority-owned businesses through federal financial assistance programs; and
3. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which promotes resolution of labor disputes.
As Attorney General Tong and the coalition assert in the lawsuit, dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on communities throughout Connecticut 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.
In 2024, IMLS invested $180 million in libraries nationwide under its Grants to States Program. The administration’s action will threaten hundreds of library staff across the country that provide essential services to their communities.
The Connecticut State Library receives $2.2 million in annual funding from IMLS, supporting the salaries of 13 Connecticut workers and programs across Connecticut providing support for early literacy and summer reading, support for veterans and military families, access to eBooks and audiobooks, among other programs. Federal funding supported 8,827 summer reading programs across Connecticut used by 229,470 children and teens last year alone. Loss of federal funding could have an immediate impact on summer reading programs for 2025. More than 5,500 Connecticut patrons rely on federally-funded accessible audio and braille books, including 316 veterans. Federal funding enables free access to more than 50,000 eBooks for all Connecticut residents.
In addition, the Trump administration has cut the staff of MBDA from 40 to just five individuals and has effectively stopped issuing new grants, hurting vulnerable small businesses across the country. The FMCS has slashed its staff from roughly 200 to fewer than 15 individuals and announced the termination of several of its core programs, making it harder for unionized workers to secure their rights.
Attorney General Tong and the coalition argue that the Executive Order violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by eliminating the programs of agencies without any regard for the laws and regulations that govern each source of federal funding. The coalition argues that 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.
This lawsuit is led by the attorneys general of New York, Rhode Island, and 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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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
Elizabeth.Benton@ct.gov
860-214-0937 (cell)
