State attorneys general have taken off as a partisan force in national politics
By Paul Nolette October 23 at 7:00 AM
Almost immediately after President Trump announced last week that he would end key Affordable Care Act subsidies meant to lower costs for lower-income Americans, a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed suit challenging the president’s decision. A similar coalition also threatened to act against the health-care executive order Trump signed on the same day as his announcement about ACA subsidies, a move the AGs claimed would similarly sabotage the health insurance market.
These rapid-fire legal actions reflect the growing influence of AGs on the national stage. AGs have already challenged Trump on several fronts. Not long after the president announced last month that he would end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general filed suit challenging that decision.
They have also challenged Trump’s travel ban and the Department of Justice’s threat to cut off federal funds for “sanctuary cities,” brought a number of legal actions about proposed delays of environmental regulations, sued the Department of Education for delaying Obama-era regulations of for-profit colleges and launched suits claiming that Trump is violating the Constitution’s previously obscure emoluments clause.
Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has taken advantage of the AGs’ new place in national politics, partnering with New York AG Eric Schneiderman in his investigation of the Trump administration — a partnership that, among other things, means any crimes uncovered could be pursued under state law, where the president has no power to pardon.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/10/23/state-attorneys-general-have-taken-off-as-a-partisan-force-in-national-politics
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