Court Rebukes Agencies for Freezing Climate Funds

A federal judge ruled that U.S. agencies unlawfully froze funds from climate and infrastructure laws. Judge Mary McElroy ordered the disbursement of funds, emphasizing limitations on agency power. Agencies cannot perpetually constrain statutes enacted by the former administration.

In a significant legal development, a federal judge has ruled against U.S. government agencies that unlawfully froze funds under climate and infrastructure spending laws. The court's decision marks a pivotal moment in how agency authority is exercised under presidential agendas, specifically targeting the Interior and Energy Departments, among others.

Judge Mary McElroy, presiding over the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, stated that although President Trump had the right to implement his policies, agencies do not possess unchecked power to further any given administration's goals or to indefinitely obstruct statutes passed by Congress.

The ruling mandates these agencies to resume the immediate release of funds, a move that could reignite projects stalled during political transitions, revealing important precedents concerning governance and statutory interpretation in the U.S. legal framework.

(With inputs from agencies.)