A federal judge has granted a stay that will delay the implementation of the Trump administration’s plan to freeze trillions of dollars in congressionally approved federal spending.
Judge Loren AliKhan, a Joe Biden appointee to the D.C. circuit, wrote in her brief order that “there is the specter of irreparable harm” from the Trump plan, which had been set to go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The judge set a hearing in the case for Feb. 3, next Monday.
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The Trump administration is attempting to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” according to a memo from the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The order is putting everything from domestic-violence programs to Meals on Wheels, from homeless shelters to suicide hotlines, even hospitals, at risk of having to shut down.
“This order is a potential 5-alarm fire for nonprofits and the people and communities they serve,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council on Nonprofits.
Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat who represents Richmond and Central Virginia in Congress, called the Trump effort “not only absurd, but patently illegal.”
“Whether it is emergency shelters that can no longer house domestic violence survivors, state or local governments counting on federal dollars to repair crumbling bridges and roads, or hospitals unable to meet the needs of veterans, urban and rural communities seeking healthcare, the freeze would have far-reaching ramifications, particularly in Virginia with its heavy reliance on federal funding. Administration assurances that direct payments to individuals were unaffected provided little comfort given the large number of grants that flow through state, local, and non-governmental entities,” McClellan said.
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Chris Graham
