Friend,

President Trump’s cruelty has reached new heights.

In a bewildering memo, his Office of Management and Budget ordered a freeze on all federal loans and grants. Understandably, this sent a shockwave to the non-profits, schools, and local governments that rely on aid from Washington, DC.

In short order, a battle played out in federal court about whether or not the President actually has the power to refuse to spend money that Congress has lawfully authorized. Eventually, the White House rescinded the order, though aides to the President have made clear that they will continue the policy of freezing any funds that conflict with Trump’s agenda.

But more important than this constitutional crisis, in my view, is the moral crisis facing every American.

The questions are simple: do we want a federal government that looks the other direction when a family can’t afford to heat their home? That shrugs when a kid goes to bed hungry because their parents can’t afford to feed them dinner?

Freezing federal funding means interrupting healthcare services for the 72 million Americans who rely on Medicaid and sowing chaos for 600 food pantries across Connecticut that use federal dollars to stock their shelves.

It means leaving teachers to guess whether their next paycheck will arrive. And it means pulling the rug out from under students pursuing job training and domestic violence survivors seeking shelter.

This moral fight needs to be front and center in the weeks ahead. I’ll continue speaking out, and I know you will too. But I have to ask — where is the outrage from my Republican friends, colleagues, and neighbors?

— Jim