In an effort to reverse President Donald Trump’s executive order that is preventing billions of dollars in congressionally approved financing for infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging stations, Maryland joined 15 other states in a lawsuit on Wednesday.
As part of an aggressive approach by Democratic-led states targeting Trump’s actions, the state joined the third lawsuit this week.
In another lawsuit this week, a federal judge in Rhode Island blocked Trump’s order drastically reducing operations at federal agencies that oversee museum and library services, minority business development, and mediation services, giving the states a preliminary injunction against Trump initiatives.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is being sued for unlawfully withholding around $3 billion in previously approved funding to construct electric vehicle infrastructure. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the state of Washington. According to the lawsuit, Maryland will lose $49 million from the five-year funding plan that former President Joe Biden (D) approved.
“Charging stations and ports are critical to helping more families transition to cleaner vehicles that reduce pollution and support our environmental goals,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “By unlawfully withholding $49 million in approved funding, the Trump Administration is undermining efforts to expand our state’s charging network, reduce emissions, and build a healthier future for generations to come.”
The lawsuit contests Trump’s executive order, “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, signed on his first day in office, which sought to “eliminate the electric vehicle mandate.”
However, Wednesday’s lawsuit claims that no such mandate ever existed and that by attempting to do away with “this fictional mandate, the Executive Order directs the Federal Highway Administration to usurp the legislative and spending powers reserved to Congress by withholding congressionally appropriated funding for electric vehicle (“EV”) charging infrastructure required by statute to be distributed to States.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation took that exact action in February, ordering states to cease funding electric vehicle charging infrastructure and stopping the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. The states’ lawsuit claims that when Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, it authorised $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure initiative.
“The Maryland Department of Transportation values the U.S. Department of Transportation’s intent to modernize and update NEVI program guidance as soon as possible,Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement. “However, the action taken to indefinitely pause the NEVI program is harming current and future EV drivers in Maryland.”
In addition to Maryland, 15 other states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont—as well as the District of Columbia are parties to the lawsuit.
In a separate lawsuit, Maryland and 20 other states obtained a temporary injunction Tuesday against a Trump order that would have dismantled federal agencies that support minority-owned businesses, encourage labour peace, and offer government funding to museums and libraries.
The preliminary injunction issued in U.S. District Court for Rhode Island prevents the order that affects the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, according to a report published Tuesday by the Rhode Island Current, a division of the States Newsroom network.
These agencies were instructed by Trump to “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel” on March 14.According to District Judge John J. McConnell, the order is unconstitutional “in the arbitrary and capricious way it was carried out” under the federal Administrative Procedures Act.
“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,” McConnell wrote.
On April 4, the states filed a lawsuit against Trump, the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ acting director Keith E. Sonderling, as well as other federal officials and agencies.
“This ruling safeguards essential lifelines for aspiring entrepreneurs, workers demanding fair treatment, and Maryland families who rely on their local libraries for internet access and childhood literacy support,” Brown said in a statement. “By defending these vital federal programs, we’ve ensured they continue delivering critical services to the Marylanders who depend on them every day.”
Brown joined two lawsuits against the federal government on Monday: one that ordered federal agencies to halt approvals, permits, and loans for all wind energy projects, both onshore and offshore, and another that challenged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for reducing staffing and closing agencies.
In a separate lawsuit against Trump’s executive order from March 25 that would impose widespread voting restrictions across the country, Maryland also joined a motion seeking a preliminary injunction.
