{"id":1919,"date":"2026-01-07T20:01:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T01:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=1919"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:36:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:36:23","slug":"attack-on-museums-libraries-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/attack-on-museums-libraries-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Attack on Museums, Libraries & Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong Sues to Stop Trump Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion Attack on Libraries<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump signed Exec\u00adu\u00adtive Order 14238<\/a>, also known as the \u201cclo\u00adsure order\u201d, to reduce and dis\u00adman\u00adtle sev\u00aden fed\u00ader\u00adal agen\u00adcies on March 14, 2025. It directs the Insti\u00adtute of Muse\u00adum and Library Ser\u00advices, the Minor\u00adi\u00adty Busi\u00adness Devel\u00adop\u00adment Agency, the Fed\u00ader\u00adal Medi\u00ada\u00adtion and Con\u00adcil\u00adi\u00ada\u00adtion Ser\u00advice and four oth\u00ader agen\u00adcies to elim\u00adi\u00adnate all of their pro\u00adgrams and com\u00adpo\u00adnents not man\u00addat\u00aded by statute and to reduce their statu\u00adto\u00adri\u00adly man\u00addat\u00aded func\u00adtions and asso\u00adci\u00adat\u00aded staff to the min\u00adi\u00admum required by law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On April 4, 2025, Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong joined a coali\u00adtion of 20 oth\u00ader states in suing to fight the clo\u00adsure order. The law\u00adsuit alleged that \u201call of the agen\u00adcies sub\u00adject to the Clo\u00adsure Order were estab\u00adlished by Con\u00adgress and giv\u00aden a detailed set of statu\u00adto\u00adry duties. In their spree to gut these agen\u00adcies, Defen\u00addants have elim\u00adi\u00adnat\u00aded many of the pro\u00adgrams that the agen\u00adcies are statu\u00adto\u00adri\u00adly required to car\u00adry out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suit argued that Pres\u00adi\u00addent Trump is exceed\u00ading his pow\u00ader as only Con\u00adgress can cut these agen\u00adcies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release, \u201cThe Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut State Library receives $2.2 mil\u00adlion in annu\u00adal fund\u00ading from IMLS, sup\u00adport\u00ading the salaries of 13 Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut work\u00aders and pro\u00adgrams across Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut pro\u00advid\u00ading sup\u00adport for ear\u00adly lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy and sum\u00admer read\u00ading, sup\u00adport for vet\u00ader\u00adans and mil\u00adi\u00adtary fam\u00adi\u00adlies, access to eBooks and audio\u00adbooks, among oth\u00ader pro\u00adgrams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading sup\u00adport\u00aded 8,827 sum\u00admer read\u00ading pro\u00adgrams across Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut used by 229,470 chil\u00addren and teens last year alone. Loss of fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading could have an imme\u00addi\u00adate impact on sum\u00admer read\u00ading pro\u00adgrams for 2025. More than 5,500 Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut patrons rely on fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly-fund\u00aded acces\u00adsi\u00adble audio and braille books, includ\u00ading 316 vet\u00ader\u00adans. Fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading enables free access to more than 50,000 eBooks for all Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut res\u00adi\u00addents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

April 4, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-00128<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of Rhode Island, et al. v. Trump et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs<\/strong>: 21 states<\/h3>\n\n\n\n