(The Center Square) – Several Illinois state officials have responded to news that the Trump administration is pausing federal grants and loans in an effort to review wasteful spending.
A White House memo directs agencies to conduct an analysis to ensure that spending is in line with Trump’s edicts to end “wokeness” and to make government more efficient. Trillions of dollars are potentially under review.
“If you are receiving assistance from the federal government, you will still continue to receive that,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “However, it is the responsibility of this president and his administration to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
Leavitt declined to directly answer questions about whether Medicaid funding would be affected by the order.
Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget wrote in the memo that “each agency must complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President’s executive orders.”
Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Illinois is joining several other states, including New York and California, in asking the courts to immediately block President Trump’s edict.
“Congress is given the power to appropriate the funding. The executive branch cannot unilaterally disregard those appropriations passed by a separate and equal house of government,” Raoul said Tuesday during a Zoom press conference. “We will collectively fight this unconstitutional mandate.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration reported Tuesday that the state was unable to access the portal used for the administration of Medicaid. The governor called a late news conference Tuesday to respond to the federal funds freeze.
“What Donald Trump tried to do in the past 24 hours is illegal,” said Pritzker. “Let’s be clear, this is a demonstration of cruelty against people who depend on us.”
A federal judge late Tuesday temporarily blocked the funds freeze. The order came just minutes before the edict was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. EST.
