Rep. Courtney Decries Trump Administration’s Unconstitutional ‘Pause’ on Federal Funding

NORWICH, CT – Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) decried the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional action announced last night mandating all federal agencies pause disbursement of federal assistance already approved by the Congress and signed into law.

 “The Trump memo ‘pausing’ $3 trillion of lawfully appropriated grants and loans is an unconstitutional rabbit punch to state and local governments and non-profit charities. With a mere 24-hour notice, core services for public safety, health care, housing, and advanced research, to name a few, will seize up,” said Courtney.  

“From day one, President Trump and his budget guru and Project 2025 architect, Russell Vought, have stated that they have no intention of adhering to the 1975 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act which was passed during the Nixon administration to stop Executive Branch override of lawfully enacted budgets. Both Trump and Vought have repeatedly dismissed the law as unconstitutional, an opinion that has no basis in any court rulings, but rather is founded on their extremist beliefs.

“This ‘pause’ will cause serious harm to the U.S. economy and the American people. This is a gut-check moment for every Member of the co-equal branch of Congress, regardless of party, to overturn this order. My office and I have been working to make sure federal funds are protected for the meaningful local project they’re intended to support, and we will remain on standby to help local stakeholders navigate this unconstitutional order,” concluded Courtney.

Yesterday, before the most recent OMB memo was released, Rep. Courtney joined 153 lawmakers in sending a letter to the Trump Administration after President Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office that could pause all disbursements of Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding immediately. Neither the vaguely worded executive order nor a follow-up memorandum from Trump's Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Matthew Vaeth and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett clarify which projects, programs, and activities are frozen. The letter urges the Trump Administration to disclose a full list of these frozen initiatives. 

“This executive order is a source of great anxiety for communities and businesses across the country that use this funding to build new roads, fix bridges, replace lead pipes, expand broadband access, strengthen infrastructure against natural disasters, and much more. Work is already underway on tens of thousands of projects in both the public and private sector, but their completion depends on these funds, which were already approved by Congress and enacted into law,” the lawmakers wrote. 

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