Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to halt federal grants, loans, and other assistance that supports millions of Americans, including schools, state and local governments, and communities recovering from natural disasters.

“Communities across the country rely on federal assistance for projects ranging from infrastructure to health care and natural disaster recovery. President Trump’s heartless decision to halt funding for these communities and initiatives will harm millions of Americans and raise the cost of living,” said Congresswoman Ross. “This unconstitutionally broad overreach threatens our country’s national security, financial security, and the Constitutional authority of Congress. The President does not have the right to take away funding for programs he doesn’t like on a whim. These investments were approved by Congress and are not optional; they are the law.”

President Trump has directed federal agencies to halt activities related to disbursement of federal financial assistance. The memo from the Office of Management and Budget specifically states that Social Security, Medicare, and direct assistance to individuals should not be impacted, but the overly broad nature of the decree doesn’t make it clear what organizations or forms of federal funding would be impacted.