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Coalition of AGs Suing to Stop Dismantling of Federal Agencies That Support
Libraries, Museums, Minority-Owned Businesses, and Workers
BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a
coalition of 21 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of
three federal agencies that provide critical services and funding for public libraries and museums,
small businesses, and workers 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 begun cutting hundreds of grants for state libraries and museums. The
lawsuit filed by Attorney General Brown and the coalition seeks to stop the administration's
dismantling of the IMLS and two other agencies on which millions of Americans rely, especially
those in underserved communities.
“We’re bringing this lawsuit to help protect the resources Marylanders rely on—grants that keep
libraries and museums open, federal financial assistance for small businesses, and labor dispute
resolution services that help sustain America’s economy,” said Attorney General Brown.
“We're fighting to preserve these resources, especially in communities that have been historically
underserved, because allowing the Trump administration to destroy them harms us all.”
This Executive Order is the administration’s latest attempt to dismantle federal agencies in
defiance of Congress. Attorney General Brown and the coalition are seeking to stop the
dismantling of three agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order:
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which supports museums
and libraries nationwide through grantmaking, research, and policy development;
- The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which promotes the
growth and inclusion of small businesses in historically underserved communities
through federal financial assistance programs; and
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which promotes
peaceful resolution of labor disputes.
As the coalition asserts in its lawsuit, dismantling these agencies will have devastating effects on
communities throughout Maryland 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.
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.
The coalition argues 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 also 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.
In filing this lawsuit, Attorney General Brown joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont,
Washington, and Wisconsin.
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