Is The Funding Freeze Unfrozen? White House Says, ‘No’
Debate focuses on Trump’s executive orders
Democrats and others are celebrating a victory as, just days after a sweeping order from Donald Trump to freeze an vast array of federal spending, the White House released what appears to be a rescission of that freeze.
But Trump’s top spokeswoman in the White House is saying, “Not so fast,” leaving question marks as to the effort to block spending on Medicaid, student grants, food assistance and a wide array of federal services that millions of Americans rely on every day.
The rescission came just hours after congressional Democrats scrambled to respond to the funding freeze and a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze from taking effect.
By Wednesday afternoon, journalists were reporting, “Trump’s White House OMB rescinds federal aid freeze,” and similar news.
And top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) were claiming victory.
“Round one goes to Team America. We remain in the ring until far right extremism has been completely and totally knocked out,” he tweeted, along with an image of the rescission.
Except White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denies the freeze is kaput.
“This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court's injunction,” Leavitt tweeted from her official White House account. “The President's EO's on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.”
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