A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Trump’s efforts to freeze aid for Medicaid and education after policies confused the country.
There have been many reactions to the Trump administration’s freeze, such as fear, confusion, and even lawsuits. Nonprofit organizations including the National Council of Nonprofits have filed suit in federal court in Washington DC. The freeze has halted organizations that research cures for childhood cancer, safety form domestic violence, suicide hotlines, and even food assistance. States including New York have also sued.
Many universities across the US worry that the freeze will affect different research programs. Faculty and students were told to stop working on grant-funded projects, and the National Science Foundation even paused all of its grant reviews. Meals on Wheels programs could also be impacted, which would prevent millions of senior citizens from having proper food and care.
Any pending payments to organizations from federal grants will likely be stopped since the memo released by the White House said that all activity must cease by 5 p.m. on Jan. 28. Medicare and Social Security benefits are the few that the pause will not impact.
The dozens of executive orders issued by President Trump just days after being inaugurated have caused major confusion across Congress and the government as a whole.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has asked federally funded organizations to submit answers to the following questions by Feb. 7:
- Does this program promote gender ideology?
- Does this program promote or support in any way abortion or other related activities identified in the Hyde Amendment?
- Does this program provide funding that is implicated by the directive to end discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities under whatever name they appear, or other directives in the same EO, including those related to “environmental justice” programs or “equity-related” grants?
The Hyde Amendment, referred to in the second question above, is a law passed in 1977 that prevents federal funds from being used for elective abortions.
Although Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, said, “If you are receiving individual assistance from the federal government, you will still continue to receive that,” Medicaid payments were frozen on Tuesday, and access to online portals was blocked. This continues to reinforce the confusion across the country.
