(The Center Square) – Colorado Democrats have been quick to react to an order from the White House Office of Management and Budget temporarily pausing federal funding to “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”
Federal financial assistance includes grants and loans, though the order does limit the pause to those programs that have been “implicated” by President Donald Trump’s executive orders from the past week, “including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.”
Democratsexpressed concerns about the number of programs that could fall under the pause.
“Donald Trump’s funding freeze is not only illegal – it’s reckless,” said U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-CO. “This chaos and uncertainty will threaten critical services that millions of people rely on: food and housing assistance, mental health services, and even housing for homeless veterans. This is absolutely unacceptable.”
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-CO, went even further, labeling Trump a “king.”
“The American people did not vote for this,” DeGette said. “We do not have a king in our country, no matter how highly Donald Trump regards himself.”
The White House noted the necessity of the pause as a part of a comprehensive analysis of federal financial assistance programs, which made up $3 trillion of the 2024 Fiscal Year federal budget.
“Financial assistance should be dedicated to advancing administration priorities,” the order said. “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.”
The order is set to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, though states are already preparing to challenge the pause.
While Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser has not yet said if Colorado would join a challenge, he also expressed concern with the order.
“The administration’s widespread pause on federal funding is unprecedented, harmful, and dangerous,” Weiser said. “A range of programs across Colorado depend on this funding to support our families and communities. This wrongful action promises to harm them.”
The order specified that the pause does not apply to “assistance provided directly to individuals,” including Medicare and Social Security benefits.
There is some confusion over what programs it might apply to, including concerns from Democrats over programs like Great Start or Meals on Wheels.
“What does this mean for Colorado,” asked U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-CO. “Funding to our police departments, our rural hospitals, programs for homeless veterans. Nearly 9,000 kids in CO Head Start programs may be locked out. Trump is sacrificing working Americans.”
