A federal judge on Thursday nixed a Trump administration request to pause proceedings in a case over government spending freezes – an effort staked to the ongoing government shutdown .

In the underlying case, Rhode Island leads a coalition of state plaintiffs against efforts to defund and "gut" the operations of three agencies who oversee library, business development, and mediation services, according to the 58-page complaint filed earlier this year.

"The States rely on [the three agencies] to support their public libraries and museums, assist state entities in extending contracting opportunities to disadvantaged individuals, and prevent and resolve public-sector labor disputes involving State entities," the lawsuit reads. "The sudden halting of the agencies' work after decades of close

See Full Page