A federal judge is blocking the White House’s attempt to freeze federal funding to programs it dislikes, as Washington joins twenty other states in suing the new administration.
The judge who blocked the move said the White House doesn’t even know the full scope of the programs subject to the pause, according to CNN.
Washington hospitals say their biggest concerns upfront included cuts to supplemental Medicaid funding, grants to address opioid addiction, and childcare for healthcare workers.
The federal judge who temporarily blocked this freeze only blocked a portion of the order, which means that money already granted by the federal government could still be spent. That’s the result of a legal challenge from several non-profit groups, not the lawsuit Washington is signed onto with twenty other states.
The Trump administration’s acting director of the Office of Management and Budget said, “This temporary pause will provide the administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of funding for those programs consistent with the law and the president’s priorities.”
Opponents, however, say this freeze flouts the balance of power that constitutionally gives Congress federal spending power.
“Congress has already said it’s going to various programs all over the country and just saying, nope, we’re not going to do it. That is called impoundment and it is illegal,” said Rep. Kim Schrier.
“You don’t pass appropriation bills, in all my years of being here, without bipartisan cooperation. Can you imagine what it’s going to be like for us – either under this administration or any administration in the future – if those agreements mean nothing?” asked Sen. Patty Murray.
Halfway through the day, the White House offered a clarification, saying that SNAP benefits, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and grants to farmers and small businesses won’t be affected — as well as Pell Grants, Head Start funding, rental assistance, and a vague “other similar programs”.
The pause was supposed to go into effect Tuesday night, with a final review of programs completed by February 10, but it’s still unclear how these legal challenges will impact that.
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