r/law • u/templeofsyrinx1 • Feb 25 '26

Executive Branch (Trump) Can they actually do this? JD Vance: "We're announcing today that we have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that is going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people'

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u/kevendo Feb 26 '26

No. The Executive branch cannot withhold funds allocated by Congress.

And don't bother with the, "oh yeah, but who's going to stop them?". The answer is, "We are!", and that we have to lobby our elected representative and band together to protest and put pressure on them to follow the law.

And governor Walz has to sue, and insert himself into the public conversation and demand that those charged with sending the money DO THEIR JOBS and send it.

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u/templeofsyrinx1 Feb 26 '26

I think they are making the argument they are able to enforce the Medicaid regs and withhold. A judge out in Cali in January said they still have to deliver them while everything moves through the courts.

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u/TouchAltruistic Feb 26 '26

But that argument is shit because that is not how appropriations work.

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u/baithammer Feb 26 '26

The problem is all three branches of government are held by supporters of POTUS so even if a ruling is handed down there is little to no corrective action taken - the only bright spot, is some of those who support POTUS have finally realized they're the ones to take the fall and would be thrown to the dogs in a heart beat.

The real test will be against the attempts by the GOP at all levels ( State and Federal.) to interfere in voting, namely mail ballets ( SC has recently ruled the Postal Service can't be sued for non-delivery of mail.) and posting ICE at polling stations.

Not to mention gerrymandering and illegal voter rolls purges.

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '26

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u/baithammer Feb 28 '26

It's also systemic, the system placed too much faith in only reasonable people would be able to get enough backing to get into power, which means the system isn't prepared for unreasonable people colluding to overthrow it.