I sponsored the legislation last year that gave the Maryland Attorney General the authority to sue the federal government without the Governor’s approval.

Funding for the attorneys needed to litigate these actions would have been deleted from the budget by a floor amendment offered today by a Republican delegate.

This is what I said in response.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the House, when we enacted the Defense of Maryland Act last year, we said, as a body, that it is imperative that our Attorney General, on behalf of the people of Maryland, defend the rule of law.

That when in his judgment, he felt that there was a violation of federal law impairing the well-being of the citizens of this state, that he should request the counsel of the Governor.

He is mandated before he brings a lawsuit under the law, to seek the advice of the Governor.

It’s my understanding the Governor has chosen not to respond to any of those requests except when the Governor himself initiated legal action.

The Attorney General is not 0 for 20 [in the lawsuits he has brought, as one Republican claimed]. All these lawsuits are in the preliminary stage.

We are still, if I may, “at bat” in each and every one of those cases.

It is not tomfoolery to defend the rule of law. It is not political grandstanding to defend the rule of law.

That’s what we asked our Attorney General to do. This money is needed for him to do just that. Thank you.”