Ossoff slams Trump’s ‘erratic’ attempt to freeze grant, loan funds
WASHINGTON - Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff says President Donald Trump’s attempt to freeze domestic grant and loan funding “threatens chaos.”
The White House said it was pausing federal grants and loans starting Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s istration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending.
However, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s effort on Tuesday, and then Trump on Wednesday rescinded a memo ordering the freeze. The White House said Trump’s underlying executive orders remained in place.
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The attempted freeze caused confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline, and that’s what has Ossoff worried.
“The president’s suspension of federal grants for Georgia threatens chaos,” said Ossoff, D-Ga. “This erratic decision risks serious damage to health care, education, public safety, and local governments across our state.”
istration officials said the decision was necessary to ensure that all funding complies with Trump’s executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts.
They also said that federal assistance to individuals would not be affected, including Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships.
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The pause on grants and loans was scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. ET, just one day after agencies were informed of the decision.
The issue dominated the first briefing held by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She said the istration was trying to be “good stewards” of public money by making sure that there was “no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness.”
She denied that Trump was deliberately challenging Congress to establish his dominance over the federal budget.
“He’s just trying to ensure that the tax money going out the door in this very bankrupt city actually aligns with the will and the priorities of the American people,” she said.
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“The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” wrote Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Vaeth wrote that “each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders.” He also wrote that the pause should be implemented “to the extent permissible under applicable law.”
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