Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township and 23 states’ attorneys general are suing President Donald Trump’s administration over cuts to AmeriCorps, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today.
“AmeriCorps members are serving their fellow Pennsylvanians everyday — rebuilding our communities after disasters, educating our children, helping our veterans and seniors, and keeping our trails and water clean,” Shapiro said in a statement Wednesday. “The federal government entered into a contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and with the dismantling of AmeriCorps, the Trump administration is breaking that contract.”
The lawsuit says that the president does not have the constitutional authority to dismantle the organization because the agency was established by an act of Congress.
According to The Inquirer, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began probing AmeriCorps’ $1 billion operating costs in mid-April over alleged financial wastefulness. DOGE recalled 750 members of the agency’s National Civilian Community Corps from their posts, then placed 85% of AmeriCorps federal employees on administrative leave, with layoffs set to go into effect June 24.
DOGE also ordered the agency to terminate $400 million in grants to more than 1,000 community service programs across the United States, including several in Pennsylvania.
The Inquirer noted that AmeriCorps has failed to provide usable financial statements to auditors for the last eight years, “making it difficult to have a complete picture of its fiscal health.”
For every tax dollar invested, AmeriCorps returns $17.30 in value, according to a 2020 study from Voices of National Service.
Earlier this month, Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit to challenge President Donald Trump’s administration for its latest federal funding cut to $11 billion in pandemic-era programs. In March, Shapiro said he will consider legal action if the executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education causes Pennsylvania to lose billions in federal funding for its schools. Days later, he asked the Trump administration to reconsider its decision to cancel $13 million in funding for Pennsylvania food banks to buy food from local farmers
In February, Shapiro filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s freeze of federal funding.
The full lawsuit is below: