WATCH the full call HERE
Washington, D.C. — Today, Thursday, March 6th, Congressional Integrity Project hosted a press call featuring U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Democracy Forward President & CEO Skye Perryman, and Jen Bailey, Executive Director of Reach Dane Head Start to set the record straight on the real life impact of President Trump’s illegal funding freeze.
Over the last six weeks, President Trump has attempted to erode our nation’s system of checks and balances – one of the most basic tenets of our Constitution – both by ignoring Congress’s power of the purse and federal court orders.
“Amid this administration’s chaos, the Trump administration continues to break the law by holding hostage essential funds promised to our constituents. Despite judicial intervention, the outcome for our communities remains uncertain.” said U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski. “These funds have been signed into law and are obligations to our communities and I urge my Republican colleagues to stand up for their communities and against this dangerous executive branch overreach. I also urge our President to do what is right and follow the orders of the court.”
“Since its inauguration, over 85 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration, with even judges appointed by the President ruling against it. One of our most significant victories has been in the courts, where we successfully fought to ensure essential services remain available and prevent the Administration from freezing funding across the federal system,” said Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward. “These legal victories have been crucial in protecting communities from harm, but they are not enough. The Administration continues to attempt to bypass the law and undermine its purpose but we remain steadfast in the fight against these unlawful actions.”
“The freeze on federal funds on January 28th forced our program into a crisis,” said Jen Bailey, executive director of Reach Dane Head Start. “Without a financial reserve, we would have been forced to shut down, cutting vital services to a thousand of children and families in Dane and Green counties. It truly has been an incredibly heartbreaking and challenging situation, breaking the trust we once had and fostering an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. We no longer feel that we can trust that the funds allocated by Congress will actually be accessible when needed.”
“The Trump Administration’s unlawful freeze of all federal loan and grant disbursements across the country jeopardizes critical sectors such as medical research, disaster relief, and education and represents a clear abuse of executive power, orchestrated by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who is running the so-called Department of Government Efficiency,” said Kyle Herrig, senior advisor to the Congressional Integrity Project. “The responsibility for this governance failure falls squarely on the shoulders of Congressional Republicans, who have remained largely silent as their constituents suffer.”
To view the full press call, click here.