Congresswoman April McClain Delaney Releases Statement on Trump Administration’s Sweeping Federal Funding Freeze

Congresswoman April McClain Delaney Releases Statement on Trump Administration’s Sweeping Federal Funding Freeze

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney released the following statement on the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget’s directive to temporarily freeze all federal grants, loans and other aid: 

“I have heard from many 6th District constituents incredibly concerned about the impact these freezes will have on critical programs relied upon by Maryland communities.

We must work together in a common-sense way to cut wasteful spending, but indiscriminate mandates greatly harm everyday Americans and sow mistrust in our elected leaders and institutions.

The impact of these freezes is far-reaching—from nutrition assistance to farm aid to highway funding to small business loans to workforce education to cancer and innovation research at NIST and NIH. It is even more concerning to hear that federal program funding for Medicare/Medicaid, SNAP, WIC and other direct-pay programs is also currently frozen–despite the Trump administration promising otherwise. 

To my constituents: I share your deep concerns about the short- and long-term impacts this freeze will have on families and friends. Our team is actively working with constituents and community stakeholders to provide clarity and guidance in this situation. But know this: I will have your back to defend the programs that help Maryland families get by and get ahead.

I proudly stand with our local, state and federal partners to prevent this dangerous action and uphold the rule of law to ensure this funding is dispersed as it was approved by Congress.”

Earlier this afternoon, Congresswoman McClain Delaney sent a district-wide email to her constituents, raising awareness of these impacts and affirming her office’s role in assisting.

This funding freeze has far reaching impacts, including vital programs relating to food security, housing assistance, health care, education, law enforcement training, veterans affairs and critical national security concerns. Below is a partial list of federally funded programs that will likely be impacted, according to the House Committee on Appropriations:

• Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition benefits for pregnant, recently pregnant, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children under five years old.

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program grants to states and administrative funding. While the Administration claims these funds are exempt from the freeze, SNAP is included among the more than 2,000 financial assistance programs on an OMB list circulated to federal agencies.

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides federal funding to States to support heating assistance in winter and cooling assistance in summer for nearly 7 million low-income households.

• Title I Grants to States providing academic support for children in low-income classrooms and impacting an estimated 25 million students.

• IDEA Special Education providing academic support for an estimated 7.5 million children with disabilities.

• Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) providing federal funding to states for child care subsidies for low-income families with children under age 13.

• Head Start and Early Head Start Grants providing federal funding for preschool services for low- income families with children from birth to age 5. While the Administration claims these funds are exempt from the freeze, Head Start is included among the more than 2,000 financial assistance programs on an OMB list circulated to federal agencies.

• Adult Job Training grants providing grants to state workforce development systems to provide adult job seekers with employment services and training.

• Assistance for Rural Electric Cooperatives and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) loans and grants.

• Nearly all Rural Utilities Service affordable electricity programs, including the New ERA program, Electric Infrastructure Loan & Loan Guarantee Program, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program, Energy Resource Conservation program, Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), and the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program.

• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency grants to expand nutrition benefits into rural, tribal, and low income areas.

• Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans and Disaster Assistance-Halting SBA loans and disaster assistance will significantly impact small businesses by limiting their access to crucial financial support. This will lead to increased business closures, loss of jobs, and financial instability for affected communities. Additionally, the broader economy will suffer from reduced consumer spending and slower recovery in areas hit by disasters. While the Administration claims these funds are exempt from the freeze, SBA Disaster Assistance Loans are included among the more than 2,000 financial assistance programs on an OMB list circulated to federal agencies.

• FEMA’s Public Assistance and certain Individual Assistance programs are paused including crisis counseling, Other Needs Assistance, disaster unemployment, and case management services.

• Tenant-based Rental Assistance, Project-based Rental Assistance, Public Housing Fund, Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities, and Homeless Assistance Grants a time when housing prices are pinching families’ budgets, there would be an unprecedented loss of existing affordable housing that would force evictions for millions of low-income and working families from Section 8 and public housing, leaving private landlords without rent payments for months and causing an unprecedented loss of affordable housing for our elderly, disabled, and veterans across rural, urban and Tribal communities. While the Administration claims these funds are exempt from the freeze, Project-based Rental Assistance is included among the more than 2,000 financial assistance programs on an OMB list circulated to federal agencies.

• Homeless Assistance Grants, increasing housing costs for low-income and working families, while putting more people on the streets at a time when more than 771,000 people are already experiencing homelessness and nearly eight million households in the United States with the lowest incomes pay more than half of their income towards rent, live in severely inadequate conditions, or both.

• Mayors’ and governors’ hands would be tied with a pause to their annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, which is used for addressing pressing local needs - stalling critical street, water and sewer improvement projects and supportive services for our youth and elderly.

• Most grant programs funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be paused; America’s infrastructure, including American-owned businesses that supply construction materials and create livable-wage jobs, will come to a halt. Forcing workers to leave the job with shovels in the ground, delaying safety-critical improvements to our roads and bridges, and crippling local and regional economies that will add to the cost of doing business with the American government – at a time when 43 percent of our public roadways are in poor or mediocre condition.

• VA Homeless Provider Grants supporting community-based organizations that provide transitional housing and other services for homeless veterans.

• Veterans State Nursing Home Care grants providing nursing home care for veterans who need skilled nursing care.

• Veterans Transportation Program grants providing transportation for veterans in highly rural areas to VA medical centers.

• Suicide Prevention Grant Program providing suicide prevention resources to vulnerable veterans and their families.

• Food Security Pilot Grant Program ensuring food security for veterans.

• Veterans Employment and Training providing grants for employment and job placement services for eligible veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness.
• The Crime Victims Fund that provides assistance and services to victims of crime, including state victim compensation and assistance formula grants.

• State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, including COPS grants and Byrne Justice Assistance grants and reentry programs, helping state and local agencies to implement programs that improve the criminal, civil, and juvenile justice systems. These grants help states and localities to fight crime.

• Violence Against Women Act prevention and prosecution programs, which reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable.

• Forest Service, State and Volunteer Fire Capacity Grants that provide critical financial assistance to states for wildfire preparedness activities and support for the many thousands of rural, volunteer fire departments across the Nation. Freezing this funding will leave communities vulnerable to fire.

• EPA Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds that provide billions of dollars for states to finance water infrastructure improvements across the country, additionally, funding for more than 2,000 Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending projects are impacted.

• EPA Lead Testing in Schools grants going to local schools and child care facilities to test and remediate for lead in drinking water. Blocking these funds leaves school children across the country vulnerable to lead poisoning.

• Community Health Centers provide health care services in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories for more than 30 million low-income patients.

• NIH – Biomedical Research Grants supporting thousands of grants for research to develop life-saving cures and treatments for diseases and health conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, infectious diseases, and opioid addiction, among others.

• SAMHSA – Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant providing funding to all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories to prevent and treat substance abuse.

• SAMHSA – State Opioid Response Grants providing funding to all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories to prevent and treat opioid abuse.

• Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) funding. Stopping HIDTA funding will severely impact efforts to combat drug trafficking, including opioids, and organized crime in high-risk regions, leading to reduced coordination and resources for law enforcement. This could result in an increase in drug-related violence, crime rates, and public safety concerns.

• Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Drug-Free Community (DFC) resources. Holding back DFC funding would disrupt programs designed to prevent youth substance use and promote healthier communities, reducing the resources available for local prevention efforts. This could lead to a rise in substance abuse among young people, as schools and organizations would struggle to provide education and support services.

For updates, follow Rep. McClain Delaney at @RepAprilDelaney.

Congresswoman April McClain Delaney was elected in 2024 to serve Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett Counties. In Congress, McClain Delaney is focused on improving US competitiveness and innovation, protecting our natural environment and championing policies that represent the values and priorities of Maryland’s 6th District.