Yesterday, the Trump administration froze most federal grants and loans.

We’re talking about potentially trillions in federal funding earmarked for state
and local governments, small businesses, Native American tribes, disaster
relief, nonprofit organizations, education and transportation projects, foreign
aid, and more.

Even Medicaid. While the chaotic Trump administration says Medicaid will not be
affected, news reports indicate that the government website states use to
receive federal Medicaid funds went dark this morning.

These funds — every last penny — were already appropriated by Congress.

And according to a pesky little document known as the Constitution of the United States , it is Congress, not the president, that decides how to allocate our tax
dollars.

In announcing this flagrantly illegitimate halt to essential federal spending,
the Trump administration said this:

“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.”

* Aside from our suspicions that exactly nobody in Trump’s orbit could actually
define Marxism, since when is “equity” something the United States does not
value (even if we often come up short in our efforts to achieve it)?

* And what, for example, does disaster relief for those whose houses are wiped
out by tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, or fires have to do with transgender
people? (Do they control the weather now?)

* And of course — famously and very disappointingly, with far too many
Democrats deserving of blame alongside most Republicans — no Green New Deal
(much less any “green new deal social engineering”) ever made it into law.

Congress must step up to assert its constitutional role as the branch of
government that controls the federal budget and end Trump’s absurd freeze.

Tell Congress: [[link removed]]

Do not let Donald Trump bulldoze over your constitutionally mandated duty to
control federal spending. Take immediate action to put an end to Trump’s
illegitimate freeze on potentially trillions in federal grants and loans. And do
not confirm Russell Vought — the original architect of this nonsense — as
Trump’s pick to run the critical Office of Management and Budget.
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Thanks for taking action.

For progress,

- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen


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