By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth
While a federal judge has temporarily halted implementation of a Trump administration federal funding freeze until Feb. 3 — with the administration rescinding the order on Jan. 29 — state and local organizations providing services to families and youth are still concerned many of the freezes could eventually be enacted.
“While it is a positive development that the (Office of Budget Management) memo is rescinded, serious questions and concern remain about the risk to services critical to children and families that would disappear without federal funding,” Children’s Action Alliance stated in a media release. “A full-scale review of federal grants and payments continues to proceed.”
Nationwide, officials say a potential freeze could halt loans and grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations and schools — impacting such programs as Head Start, the Dept. of Agriculture’s tribal food sovereignty program and other federally funded economic assistance programs.
Concerns began when the Trump administration released an Office of Budget Management (OMB) memo on Jan. 27 to temporarily pause all federal grants and loans. That action resulted in nearly two dozen state attorneys general suing to stop the federal funding freeze and numerous calls to state and federal legislators. Following the judge’s temporary administrative stay, another federal judge said he is also considering issuing an order blocking the freeze in funding.
“There are threats to vital services for children and families that existed before this week’s memos and that continue to loom. Drastic cuts to Medicaid (the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System or AHCCCS) that are being discussed in Congress would take away health care from hundreds of thousands of Arizonans and destabilize our state’s health care system,” Children’s Action Alliance stated in the media release. “Similarly, cuts to the State Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would increase child hunger. These are preliminary proposals for now and CAA is working every day with partners to prevent them from gaining support.
“Children’s Action Alliance is collecting stories to shine a light on the impact in Arizona, and you can share the impact to you or your organization to help us to do this.”
The public can also contact Congress to voice their concerns by CLICKING HERE
For more information:
- AzCentral — ‘Chaos and confusion’: Arizona agencies scramble after Trump pauses federal aid
- AZ Impact for Good — Tell us how the White House pause on federal grants and contracting will impact your organization
- Children’s Action Alliance — Federal Funding Freeze Update
- Children’s Action Alliance — Federal Funds Provide Vital Services to Arizonans
- Politico — White House nixes massive spending move — not Trump’s power to do it