GOP Lawmakers Defend Trump’s Grant Freeze

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a pause on outgoing federal grant and loan money on Jan. 27, requiring agencies to examine in detail how taxpayer dollars are being spent. “This temporary pause will provide the administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the president’s priorities,” the OMB memo reads. “No later than Feb. 10, 2025, agencies shall submit to OMB detailed information on any programs, projects or activities subject to this pause.” The White House clarified on Jan. 28 that the pause does not halt individual assistance programs like Medicare or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but is intended to curtail funding for programs that President Donald Trump has canceled by executive order....