Statement from Comptroller Susana Mendoza on lawsuit to prevent Trump Administration from freezing vital funding for Illinois families

I applaud Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and attorneys general in four other states for filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump Administration from blocking the $1 billion that Congress has authorized for food, safe housing and childcare for Illinois families. The power of the purse lies in the hands of Congress, not the executive branch.

President Trump cited "potential fraud" as the reason for stopping the already-approved funds, but later said it's because our states have Democratic governors.

If he comes with actual evidence of fraud, I will join the effort to block funding from any vendor misspending taxpayer money. But as the lawsuit spells out, this is just a “shoot first and ask questions later” pretext to punish children in states with Democratic governors.

Congress approved these funds for all 50 states to support low income working parents and help our residents work toward economic self-sufficiency. The Trump Administration says it wants people to get off the public dole but is taking away services that are helping Illinoisans do just that.

Childcare providers and social service agencies around the state have been calling me every day, panicked and confused, wondering how they can accomplish their mission of caring for the state's children and our most vulnerable residents.

I pray Attorney General Raoul and his counterparts in other affected states are successful in protecting our children.