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Governor Gavin Newsom of California announced late Thursday that the state will sue the Trump administration over the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) decision to cut funding for AmeriCorps. This marks California's second lawsuit against the White House in two days.
The Trump administration recently placed nearly all senior AmeriCorps employees on leave as part of sweeping spending cuts across the agency, which deploys thousands of volunteers nationwide each year. Newsom criticized these cuts, stating they "give the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans." He emphasized the importance of AmeriCorps, which provides essential services like disaster relief, education, and land conservation.
AmeriCorps, established under former President Bill Clinton in 1994, offers young Americans opportunities to volunteer with a minor financial stipend. The program grew under President Barack Obama but faced significant cuts during President Donald Trump's first term. According to UPI, more than 6,200 AmeriCorps members in California provided over 4.3 million hours of service during the 2023-24 fiscal year.
In response to the cuts, Newsom announced plans to accelerate recruitment for the California Service Corps, a state-run program with a similar mission. The lawsuit follows another legal challenge by California against the Trump administration over tariffs, which Newsom argues disproportionately affect the state's economy.