Last night the Trump administration announced a halt on federal grants and loans, a move 8th district Rep. Don Beyer called “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional.”
The White House clarified that the new order would “clamp down on foreign aid and funding for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. Washington Post reported that states have had issues accessing Medicaid and Head Start funding.
“In Fiscal Year 2024, of the nearly $10 trillion that the Federal Government spent, more than $3 trillion was Federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans,” wrote Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. “Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities.”
The budget pause takes effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Elected officials in Virginia voiced concerns about the impacts the freezing of federal funds could have on disaster assistance, public school funding and more.
Let’s be clear about what could be on the chopping block because of Trump’s new power grab:
Disaster assistance
Funding for public schools
Head Start
Medicaid
Construction projects
Manufacturing jobsUnleashing confusion on millions of lives and livelihoods for no reason.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) January 28, 2025
Rep. Don Beyer issued a statement condemning the funding freeze.
“Donald Trump’s freeze on federal funds for medical research, disaster relief, student aid, child care, nutrition assistance, and so much more is blatantly illegal and unconstitutional,” Beyer wrote. “It will also very quickly harm millions of Americans and the U.S. economy if left in place. I have already heard from local organizations who depend on grant funding and are preparing to lay off employees if this freeze is not swiftly lifted.”
Beyer said the Constitution gives funding powers to Congress and said he would “fight this order every way I can, and I will not be alone.”
