Governor Tony Evers PC: Fox 11 Online
MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Wisconsin is joining a coalition of states in suing to “immediately stop” an order from President Donald Trump pausing federal aid and grants to programs around the country.
The announcement from Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, both Democrats, came minutes after a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze. It had been set to go into effect Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT.
According to Evers, the state of Wisconsin is supposed to receive more than $28 billion in appropriated federal investments over the 2023-25 biennium.
“The Trump Administration’s new policy would immediately jeopardize critical federal benefits and investments that provide crucial health and childcare services, support public schools, combat hate crimes and violence against women, and provide life-saving disaster relief to states, among other critical programs,” a statement from Evers’ office reads.
Earlier Tuesday, Evers released a letter he penned to Trump, asking the president to delay the order and offer “immediate guidance, information, and clarification” on how the temporary pause of federal grants and loans will impact those in Wisconsin who receive funds.
“With very few details and specifics available, virtually no time for ample review and consideration, and no direct communication to date, states are left to plan for the worst, and Wisconsinites and millions of Americans who are rightfully alarmed and concerned by this unprecedented decision are left scrambling,” Evers wrote.
The federal Office of Management and Budget issued a memo reading:
Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.
Agencies have until Feb. 10 to submit detailed information on any programs, projects or activities subject to the pause.
Evers’ letter says that “kids, families, and businesses in Wisconsin and across America” who rely on the federal funds “are rightfully alarmed and concerned by this unprecedented decision are left scrambling.”
I write today to ask your administration to provide immediate guidance, information, and clarification for how these memoranda will impact federal support that goes to kids, families, communities, and states. Until that time, I further ask that you delay implementation of these memoranda, especially the memorandum issued yesterday, to give meaningful time for thorough and thoughtful review and feedback from all those who may be directly impacted by suspending federal funding that the U.S. Congress has already approved and on which so many depend.
Medicare and Social Security benefits will be unaffected by the pause, according to the memo.
Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson weighed in on the federal funding pause in a statement, saying the freeze “makes sense.”
The OMB memo explicitly makes clear that this does not affect direct payments to individuals. It makes sense for the Trump administration to want to make sure that federal taxpayer dollars are being used in a way that does not violate the President’s executive orders. The Trump administration is going to ensure adequate oversight of federal grants and loan programs and possibly investigate if any grant or loan recipients are not meeting the requirements or expectations of the federal programs.
Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, on the other hand, said in a post on X she is “fighting back” against the Trump administration’s “unconstitutional move” that is “causing chaos and hurting families.”
She spoke about the topic in a CNN interview.
“We’re already hearing from constituents, police departments, fire departments are wondering whether their grant funding is going to come through. School lunch programs are wondering whether tomorrow they’ll be able to serve students in their schools lunch. We’re hearing from Head Start and child care that they think their ability to provide services is a huge question mark right now. He [Trump] has invited chaos,” Baldwin said.
Editor’s note: Information from The National News Desk and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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