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Friday, February 28, 2025
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Trump Administration Continues to Ignore Court Rulings to Restart Federal Funding. Will Congressional Republicans Stand By As Trump Rips Funding From Their Constituents?
Washington, D.C. — This week, President Trump’s unlawful freeze on federal funds suffered a major setback after a federal judge issued an indefinite block on the executive order. The judge’s ruling, which described Trump’s plan as “ill-conceived,” underscored what many Americans have been saying all along: the freeze is unconstitutional, damaging, and a blatant violation of our system of checks and balances.
While President Trump continues his attempts to consolidate power by clashing with the courts, it is everyday Americans who bear the brunt of his actions. The federal funding freeze continues to have damaging effects across the country, from medical research and local infrastructure projects to nonprofits organizations and local farmers.
These consequences are felt in both red and blue states, and, unlike many congressional Republicans, the American people are not remaining silent. Recent reports reveal growing frustration from the constituents of Republican elected officials, who are pushing back against their representatives’ complacency and their willingness to submit to Trump’s overreach.
It is time for congressional Republicans to stand up against President Trump’s blatant power grab—not only to safeguard the interests of their constituents but to defend the very pillars of our democracy and its critical separation of powers.
Here’s the latest on the impacts of Trump’s federal funding freeze:
Trump’s Funding Freeze Disrupts HIV Prevention and Resources, Impacting Efforts Both Domestically and Globally
Reuters: “The U.S. government’s foreign aid freeze has upended the supply chain for medical products crucial for fighting diseases including HIV and malaria in some of the world’s poorest countries, and life-threatening gaps could persist for months, according to two sources familiar with the sector.”
News Center Maine: “While a federal judge has paused the freeze, uncertainty about access to grants and funding has forced some organizations in Maine to develop contingency plans to stay afloat.
Katie Rutherford is the executive director of the Frannie Peabody Center, which provides resources and assistance to HIV patients. She says around 1,800 people in Maine are living with the disease. The nonprofit has a budget of $2.8 million, with $1.3 million coming from federal grants to provide housing, utility assistance, and other services.”
Trump’s Funding Freeze Has Halted Funding to Critical Biomedical Research
Komo News: “Biomedical research is teetering on a crisis after President Donald Trump held up the grant money that helps fund the industry, pending a review of all federal spending already promised under previous administrations. […] ‘There are six grants that have not been funded that should have come through,’ Von Moltke said. ‘Their start dates were in January or February and we haven’t received the notice of award yet.’”
Trump’s Funding Freeze Continues to Halt Reimbursements for Farmers
Washington Post: “The Post spoke with farmers and farm organizations in 10 states who had contacted their congressional delegations about the USDA funding freeze. Some farmers from conservative-leaning districts said they have received no reply. Others said they were told that their representatives supported the administration’s decision — and some representatives appeared to suggest that Trump’s funding freeze was not affecting farmers at all.”
Hawaii Public Radio: “And now, federal funding freezes and staff cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture directed by the Trump administration may also have a chilling effect on critical research into coffee blight. Shriner serves as the administrator for the Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council, which received a $6 million federal grant from the USDA to support research into coffee leaf rust. A few weeks ago, about $2.8 million of the grant’s remaining funds were frozen without explanation. They have since been unfrozen by a court injunction, but Shriner said its permanent status is unknown once the injunction expires on March 14.”
Des Moines Register: “About 1,000 Iowa and Midwest farmers said this month they’re owed $11 million for conservation work they completed last year. The bulk of the money — $9.6 million — is owed to Iowa farmers, the Iowa Soybean Association said.”
Trump’s Funding Freeze Puts Nonprofit Initiatives at Risk, Threatening Support for Americans with Developmental Disabilities and Violence Victims
WCPO: “‘We can see the hit right now, actually. So it does make a difference,’ she said. While not disclosing which foundation or donor source, Vickers-Kittle gave the following example to convey the freeze attempt’s current impact: one foundation previously awarding a $75,000 donation is now only offering a portion of that — $10,000. Point Perk is one of several subsidiaries the nonprofit operates in the region, specifically with the mission of employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).”
KTTC: “Despite the pause, organizations said they’re unsure when and if they’ll receive money from the federal government again. Several groups explained that their funding typically comes in the form of a reimbursement, meaning they have to plan their services accordingly. ‘Our federal funding represents about 29% of our annual budget, and we serve 18,000 people every year, so a third of that is a big loss to thousands and thousands of survivors,’ said Jen Polzin, CEO of a group called Tubman.”
Trump’s Funding Freeze Continues to Stall Clean Energy Projects, Jeopardizing Jobs and Vital Energy Programs for Low-Income Homeowners
MPR News: “More than $250 million in federal funds promised to the Minnesota Department of Commerce for energy efficiency, home weatherization and other clean energy related programs has been frozen by the Trump administration for the past several weeks.”
NPR: “While some of those funds were earmarked to prop up renewable energy, at least $4 billion was set aside to protect the flow of the Colorado River, which supplies about 40 million people with drinking water, is the foundation for a massive agricultural economy across the Southwest, and generates significant hydroelectric power.”
Trump’s Funding Freeze Puts Halt to Local Infrastructure Projects
Oregon Public Broadcasting: “A few days before members of the legislative committee charged with transportation and economic development were set to talk about how to protect fish in Kellogg Creek, address flooding on U.S. 101 and prevent rocks from falling on cars on Interstate 84, the meeting in Salem was canceled. […] Many uncertainties remain, but the state’s Department of Transportation does have some clarity. Federal grants for programs like those mentioned above are no longer accepting applications. It remains uncertain if, or when, that might change.”
For more on President Trump’s unconstitutional federal funding freeze, CIP Checks and Balances War Room has launched ImpoundmentReport.com to track news from across the country, post expert research and reports to help Congressional staff, journalists, and allies understand what impoundment is, why it’s unconstitutional, and what Congress is doing about it.