New setback for Donald Trump’s government in court. The federal judge of Washington Loren Alikhanen has temporarily blocked the application by the Trump administration of an instruction of the White House Budget Office to stop the payments of federal subsidies, loans and other aid to a series of programs throughout the country . The measure had caused great confusion, since the Trump government had not clearly delimited its scope and had entered into obvious contradictions on its application, causing some chaos in the administration. The decision, which put at risk the financing of important social programs, had been appealed to the courts and a judge has temporarily suspended it.
The judge’s decision does not enter the bottom of the matter, but leaves the freezing of disbursements until next Tuesday, for when she has summoned a view to analyze the bottom of the case. Before, the Trump government must present their arguments in writing this Thursday and the plaintiffs its reply, on Friday, according to the resolution of five pages of the judge. It may be the beginning of a long legal battle on the matter. Alikhan, who was appointed by the previous president, Joe Biden, questioned in his resolution the indefinition of the instruction given by the Budget office of the White House. “It seems that the federal government does not currently know the total scope of the programs that will be subject to the pause,” he says.
The judge’s order responds to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of non -profit organizations that challenge the freezing of payments. The demand alleges that even a temporary interruption of the financing could “immediately deprive the people and communities of their vital services”, including medical care, support for small businesses and programs for the LGBTQ community.
The memorandum, signed by Trump’s interim budget director, Matthew Vaeth, on Monday, was scheduled to take effect on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. of its entry into force. The resource claimed that even a temporary interruption of financing could “immediately deprive people and communities of the services that save their lives”, including health care, support for small businesses and programs for the LGTBQ community.
“We are presenting a motion for a temporary restriction order in the United States District Court for the Columbia district to block the decision of the Office of Management and Budget of the White House to Pausar all subsidies and loans of federal agencies ”, Had tweeted the director of the National Council of Non -Profit Organizations.
This organization had resorted together with leaders of public health and small business, represented before the Court by the Democracy Forward organization. “This reckless action of the administration would be catastrophic for non -profit organizations and for the people and communities they serve. From the interruption of research on childhood cancer to the stoppage of food aid and housing, the closure of shelters for homeless people and victims of domestic violence, and the closure of telephone lines of help to suicides, The impact of even a brief pause on financing could be devastating and costing lives. This order must stop immediately before such a avoidable damage occurs, ”Diane Yentel had indicated.
The instruction disseminated by the interim director of the Office of Management and Budget (WBO), Matthew Vaeth, ordered the federal agencies temporarily pausar “all activities related to the obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” “The use of federal resources to promote Marxist equity, transsexuality and social engineering policies of the new green pact is a waste of taxpayers’ money that does not improve the daily life of those we serve,” argued the memorandum.
Although Trump’s government put the focus on certain policies, he cut the tap of public financing preventively to all kinds of programs. The fulfillment of the order meant stopping the delivery of items of hundreds of billions or even billion dollars in annual terms for all types of purposes.
Among the recipients of federal disbursements are state and local administrations. Programs that are financed with that money include education and transport. Loan disbursement to small businesses, money for universities research, funds for non -profit health organizations and many other aid are cut.
The document specified that the freezing of funds does not affect the benefits of Medicare, the public health insurance system, or social security. Aids directly addressed to individuals are also saved, although the scope of that exception is not clear and, in addition, most programs are not channeled directly, but through other organizations.
In his first press conference as a White House spokesman, Karoline Leavitt defended the measure on Tuesday, stressing that the money that assistance provided directly to individuals, including pensions, attention from Medicare or food coupons would not be frozen . But he could not guarantee that those who perceive indirectly, through state and local governments and non -governmental organizations, including Medicaid, Public Health Insurance for more needy people, were maintained indirectly.
According to Leavitt, Trump “only tries to ensure that the money of the taxes that comes out through the door of this city in bankruptcy really adjusts to the will and priorities of the US people.”
The White House Budget office spread hours after the instruction a question and answers document in which he assured that the freezing of spending only affected the items that entered into collision with the priorities issued by Trump through their executive orders. That explanation, however, came into flagrant contradiction with what the original instruction itself said. It ensured that disbursements were paralyzed to proceed with their analysis and see whether or not they adapted to Trump’s agenda.
The memorandum did not delimit what disbursements were paralyzed and which did not and said that, while they were analyzed, all activities related to the obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance, and other relevant activities of the agency that may be involved by Trump’s executive orders. He puts as examples, but without limiting character, “financial assistance for foreign aid, non -governmental organizations, the DEI [diversidad, igualdad e inclusión]gender ideology Wokeand the new green pact ”, generalities without concretion.
The application of the new directives had caused the stoppage of the disbursements of Medicaid, which covers a fifth of the Americans, although the White House assured that the problems that were giving its website for the processing of disbursements were not related to the measure . “Due to the executive orders related to the payments of potentially non -admissible subsidies, PMS [Servicios de gestión de pagos] You are taking additional measures to process payments. The reviews of the applicable programs and payments will result in delays and/or rejections of payments, ”warned the body on its website.
In addition to non -profit organizations, several Democratic states had also announced resources against the measure. “My office will undertake imminent legal actions against the unconstitutional break of this administration in federal financing. We will not stay with crossed arms while this administration harms our families, ”tweeted the attorney general of the state of New York, Laetitia James.
“The freezing by the White House of Trump of the federal aid ordered by Congress is reckless and is not precedents,” said Phil Weiser, attorney general of Colorado, in a statement. “This action takes away the power of the purse to Congress, violates the separation of powers and is already causing massive damage in Colorado, undermining the provision of medical care, education and public safety,” he added.
“The senators’ phones have been sounding without stopping with hospitals calls, police departments, volunteer firefighters, food pantries, drug treatment centers, and so on,” wrote for his part the leader of the Senate Democratic minority , Charles Schumer. “The Americans are in panic mode trying to find out how they affect the order without law, destructive and cruel of Trump to stop virtually all federal assistance. If a senator is going to say that they are not receiving calls, then they are simply out of contact because it affects almost everything. If Trump does not terminate it, Congress must act, ”he added.
The congresswoman by New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also strongly criticized the instruction of the White House Budget office: “Trump is taking as hosts to all the nation’s hospitals and vital services to snatch power from Congress and give it to the billionaires . We must tell the truth: this is a constitutional crisis. It is a massive and illegal power that the Chamber and the Senate have the sworn duty to stop, ”he tweeted.
