Summary
Donald Trump has ordered a freeze on domestic and foreign federal aid to align funding with his conservative agenda.
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to pause aid related to foreign assistance, DEI initiatives, “woke” causes, and the Green New Deal while preserving Social Security, Medicare, and direct payments.
The freeze, which could affect billions in aid, sparked immediate backlash from Democratic leaders, who called it unconstitutional.
Trump framed the freeze as part of a swift rollback of Biden-era policies.
Congress controls the budget. The executive gives a plan but Congress chooses how it is implemented. That’s why we got ACA instead of M4A. It’s why Congress voted on aid to Ukraine and Israel.
The executive does have control over some purse strings but not these direct budgets.