Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
In a setback to US President Donald Trump’s administration, a federal judge temporarily blocked part of a sweeping order to pause federal grants and loans which had a potential to disrupt education, healthcare, housing assistance, disaster relief, and numerous other programs.
The White House said that the order wasn’t as sweeping as it appeared and just minutes before it was implemented to freeze all federal aid on Tuesday, US District Judge Loren L. AliKhan prevented the administration from carrying it out and said that the Trump administration must not block existing funding programmes until February 3.
White House Office of Management and Budget acting director Matthew Vaeth, in an official memorandum had said that federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance”.
However, the memorandum which was verified by CNN, stated that the freeze in federal funding will not have an effect on Social Security or Medicare benefits nor does it include “assistance provided directly to individuals.”
White House’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, in a response to questions on a federal judge’s order to block the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding said a pause on federal funding would allow the government to get “credit control”.
Miller further added “It does not impact any federal programmes that Americans rely on,” BBC reported.
Earlier, Democrats had condemned the move as unconstitutional. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer termed the pause of federal funding by the Trump administration as “harmful overreach”.
Schumer added, “It will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and chaos for everything from universities to non-profit charities, state disaster assistance, and aid to the elderly.”
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
