CA AG Bonta says state has retrieved at least $168B from Feds, and filed 37 lawsuits

(The Center Square) — California has scored a long list of courtroom wins against the Trump administration, including restoring at least $168 billion in federal money, Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters Monday.

The state filed 37 lawsuits against the federal government within 28 weeks and received early relief such as a restraining order or preliminary injunction in 17 of 19 cases where that relief was sought, Bonta said during a news conference in Sacramento. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fellow Democrat, stood next to him.

Bonta accused the Trump administration of violating the law and the U.S. constitution and freezing federal funds that were legally approved for California. He noted the populous state contributes more money to federal tax revenues than it gets back.

“Is our government perfect? No institution is,” Bonta said. “But lighting it on fire and walking away is not the answer.”

He noted the courtroom wins have been more than worth the $25 million cost in litigation.

“For every dollar we’ve been given by the Legislature and the governor in special session funding, we’ve returned more than $33,600,” the attorney general said.

And Bonta pointed to the U.S. Department of Education's decision to restore federal funding days after California filed a lawsuit.

“In his first week in office, President (Donald) Trump went after a full-third of California’s budget – and we went to court less than 24 hours later and stopped him in his tracks," Bonta said.

“We saved approximately $7 billion for bridges and roads. We saved $939 million for California schools and $972 million in critical public health funding,” he said.

“The money is critical and touches every corner of California,” Bonta said.

“We blocked the administration’s attacks on the Department of Health and Human Services,” he said, noting the department’s work in efforts such as fighting infectious diseases.

“We’re also working to defend our constitutional rights that the president cannot rewrite,” Bonta said.

The first victory was reaffirming birthright citizenship, Bonta said, referring to the 14th Amendment.

After Bonta spoke, Newsom noted California filed 123 lawsuits against the Trump administration during the president’s first term.

“I think none of us imagined 37 lawsuits” within a short period, Newsom said, but added, “None of us are surprised that so many of them have been successful.”

“California’s early, proactive, and defensive actions have helped California maintain its values in the face of wholesale attacks against our families and communities, while also serving as a backstop against tyrannical actions by President Trump and those who aim to ignore the rule of law," Newsom told reporters.

Reporters asked Newsom later about California’s possible ballot measure for redistricting congressional districts. The Democratic governor stressed California’s redistricting would only happen if Texas goes forward with a Trump-endorsed plan to redraw district lines to gain five Republican seats in the 2026 midterm election. Historically, the party in control of the White House, in this case the Republicans, loses one house of Congress during the first midterm, and the GOP has a razor-thin majority in the House.

“I haven’t seen the maps,” Newsom said about redistricting proposals, but noted his team has started discussions and that ultimately it will be up to California voters to decide. He promised full transparency with the maps.

He said California would maintain the framework of its independent redistricting commission and praised former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican known for his action movies, for his leadership in creating independent redistricting.