Murray: “The Trump administration’s half-hearted steps yesterday to clean up this massive mess they have made just affirms two things—one: they are still illegally withholding federal funds that are law; and two: this is an administration whose sheer incompetence, combined with their bad intentions and willful disregard of the law, is creating mass panic and chaos, and hurting people everywhere.”
Murray lays out how funding freeze is still hurting Head Start providers, rental assistance, community health centers, hurting Tribes in Washington state
***VIDEO HERE***
Washington, D.C. – This morning, at a press conference with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Gary Peters (D-MI), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, once again spoke out forcefully to raise the alarm over the illegal, sweeping Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo issued by the Trump administration on Monday night that directed agencies to freeze vast swaths of federal funding passed into law by Congress.
Yesterday morning—just hours after the OMB memo was issued—Murray joined Leader Schumer and Senators Merkley, Klobuchar, Murphy, Kim, and King for a press conference hammering the Trump administration for the unprecedented and dangerous move, and highlighting the mass panic and confusion it was already creating for families, businesses, nonprofits, towns, and communities in every part of the country. Immediately after the OMB memo became public Monday night, Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent a letter to Acting OMB Director Matthew J. Vaeth raising the alarm on President Trump’s unlawful executive orders and the new memoranda. A fact sheet on the issue of the impoundment is available HERE.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below and video is HERE:
“While a judge has put this illegal move to freeze federal grants on hold for a very few short days, as Senator Schumer talked about, the threat, and the chaos, and the panic remain.
“And, let’s be clear, the Trump administration’s half-hearted steps yesterday to clean up this massive mess they have made just affirms two things—one: they are still illegally withholding federal funds that are law; and two: this is an administration whose sheer incompetence, combined with their bad intentions and willful disregard of the law, is creating mass panic and chaos, and hurting people everywhere.
“Their explanations have created no clarity or certainty for many panicked families, businesses, nonprofits, towns, and states. And they don’t actually change the basic fact that Trump is holding up funding our communities are counting on—and funding that is law.
“Because first off, there are lots of programs they are saying won’t be affected when that is not what organizations across the country are experiencing.
“Just one example: yesterday, Head Start providers were locked out of their reimbursement portal—meaning folks that are taking care of our youngest kids were suddenly not sure how they were going to keep the doors open or pay their teachers and staff.
“Rental assistance—the payment system for housing authorities was down yesterday, I checked again with my staff this morning; it is still down.
“And beyond that, there is just a long list of programs still left completely on the chopping block. Programs that help red states and blue states alike.
“Meanwhile, a Tribe back in my home state of Washington told me just a little bit ago that they are having to determine if they need to lay off 400 people.
“Community Health Centers have been having difficulty drawing down their federal funds. Sometimes they are the only providers, especially in our rural or remote communities. It is the end of the month, they need to make payroll!
“There are real patients to consider here as clinics have to think about whether they have the funds to cover services because of this illegal move.
“Funding for firefighters—you know what doesn’t stop when federal funding stops? Fires! I mean the list goes on, and on. The calls are coming in, and the chaos—I am here to tell you—has not died down this morning.
“There is really only one solution here in the Senate, and that is for all of us—all of us—to stand up and say ‘enough.’ To demand President Trump revoke these reckless orders and recognize Congress—Congress—has the power of the purse.
“We will fight this in the courts, yes, but President Trump needs to back down from this reckless order that is hurting Americans and just follow the law as Congress wrote it.
“This kind of freeze is going to hurt their states just as much, if not more. This is not a red or blue issue.
“So, as Leader Schumer has said, we are going to keep sounding the alarm and pointing out who President Trump is hurting. We are going to listen to folks back home and raise their stories for everyone to hear.
“None of us were elected to hurt people or sow chaos. We are elected to help people and solve problems. I hope every Member of Congress works with us to make clear, and work to tell President Trump: the law is the law. Work to tell him that Congress is a co-equal branch of government and the executive is there to execute the laws Congress has written.
“The White House needs to stop hurting the American people.”
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