McClellan Statement on Federal Court Stay of Trump-Vance Administration Illegal Federal Funding Freeze
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement after a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump-Vance Administration’s freeze on federal grants and loans:
“I applaud Judge AliKhan’s order blocking the Trump-Vance Administration’s hasty and illegal power grab seeking to freeze federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars.
“The Trump-Vance Administration’s illegal funding freeze deliberately threw the nation into chaos on the heels of a likewise chaotic federal hiring freeze. In one week, the Trump-Vance Administration has created overwhelming fear and uncertainty for federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, and the American people. This includes veterans, farmers, domestic violence survivors, children, first responders, cancer patients, and more.
“The Trump-Vance Administration’s move to freeze federal grant funding is not only absurd, but patently illegal. It seeks to circumvent the power of the purse held by Congress, violating separation of powers. It also breaches congressional safeguards put in place to prevent such presidential overreach through the Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
“Allowing the Trump-Vance funding freeze to take effect would have caused irreparable harm to the American people, especially those from our most vulnerable communities. Whether it is emergency shelters that can no longer house domestic violence survivors, state or local governments counting on federal dollars to repair crumbling bridges and roads, or hospitals unable to meet the needs of veterans, urban and rural communities seeking health care, the freeze would have far reaching ramifications, particularly in Virginia with its heavy reliance on federal funding. Administration assurances that direct payments to individuals were unaffected provided little comfort given the large number of grants that flow through state, local, and non-governmental entities.”
Congresswoman McClellan joined Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05) and 152 House Democrats in demanding that the Trump-Vance Administration provide a full list of all initiatives impacted by the federal funding freeze. Read the full letter here. A fact sheet detailing how the Trump-Vance Administration's exceed their authority can be found here.