WASHINGTON — An abrupt halt on federal grants and loans announced Monday night by the Trump administration has created widespread confusion across the government, Congress, state programs and nonprofit organizations that rely on that funding.
The Office of Management and Budget sent a vaguely worded two-page memo to all federal agencies Monday night directing them to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance” that could conflict with President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The following morning, nonprofit organizations said they were unable to get into a system used to access federal funds to pay for expenses, like salaries and rent.
White House attempts to clarify affected programs
It’s not clear exactly which programs will be halted, but OMB also sent a document to agencies asking for details on more than 2,600 programs, including school meals for low-income students, USAID foreign assistance, mine inspections, the WIC nutrition program for pregnant women and infants, and a reintegration program for homeless veterans