WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Confusion continues across the District after the Trump administration rescinded a memo directing a freeze on federal spending.
The budget memo, which went out Monday night, announced a freeze on federal loans and grants, creating uncertainty for nonprofits, schools and other organizations that depend on federal money to provide critical services. Those include resources for domestic violence survivors, school lunch programs and more.
By Tuesday afternoon, a judge put a temporary hold on the freeze after several organizations challenged the directive.
Wednesday afternoon, the administration rescinded the memo. However, that was subsequently followed by a post on X by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating the freeze is still in effect.
“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. The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented,” she said.
The back and forth has caused anxiety for many, including staff with the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
“You can imagine the sense of concern in not being able to access and believing the funds were then going to be indefinitely paused and unable to be accessed for a long period,” said Micaela Deming, policy director with the organization.
The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence supports more than a dozen member programs that provide domestic violence resources, from housing to legal support, mental health and more. The programs rely on the more than $35 million in federal funding the DC government receives annually.
“Our ability to hire staff today, our ability to sign a lease for a survivor tomorrow is all impacted by this uncertainty of will this happen? Is it legal? Is a judge going to overturn part or implement part?” said Deming. “So, this situation of having to check the news cycle and social media constantly to figure out if we’re on a heightened alert or not is really unsustainable.”
Meanwhile, Maryland Senator Angela Alsobrooks called the back-and-forth a tactic by the Trump administration.
“It was callous it really was. It was just so cruel, indiscriminate and it was intended to but the American people,” she said. “We know what that attention as to sow chaos and confusion.”
According to a White House fact sheet posted online to clarify Monday’s memo, “the pause does not apply across the board. It is expressly limited to programs, projects, and activities implicated by the President’s Executive Orders, such as ending DEI, the Green New Deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest.”
It also noted that the pause is necessary as “new administrations must review federal programs to ensure that they are being executed in accordance with the law and the new President’s policies.”