[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Trump Executive Orders

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, 2 nights ago, the Trump administration 
committed a breathtaking act of economic sabotage. In the blink of an 
eye, OMB announced a near-universal freeze on all Federal grant 
funding. Donald Trump's actions can be summarized with three C's: 
chaotic, careless, cruel. It is a gross overreach by Republicans, and 
it is no surprise that the American people are furious.
  Last night, a Federal judge issued an administrative stay of OMB's 
announcement, but the danger is not over, not by any means. Donald 
Trump and his ultraright puppet Russell Vought will keep trying to make 
this freeze happen.
  Today, I will speak to Democratic Governors around the country to 
discuss how this freeze is hurting their States and talk about 
coordinating our responses against this gross abuse of Presidential 
power.
  The blast radius of OMB's announcement was seemingly limitless--
States, cities, towns, schools, small businesses, local law 
enforcement, nutrition services, elderly care, and so much more were 
impacted. It is as if OMB designed their announcement to maximize chaos 
and confusion and suffering for the American people.
  Make no mistake, this decision from OMB is Project 2025 in action--
Project 2025 by another name.
  Donald Trump's lawless behavior fits a pattern. First, he pardoned 
insurrectionists. Then, he fired independent watchdogs and labor 
commissioners. And now he is freezing--freezing--congressionally 
approved funding.
  Before our eyes, Donald Trump is rigging the system and breaking the 
law to help his billionaire friends at the expense of working families.
  I got calls yesterday from Republican town supervisors and mayors in 
panic about flood prevention and sewer projects, who told me they had 
shovel-ready projects to go but now those projects were in limbo. I got 
calls from food banks, like FeedMore in Western New York, fearful that 
suddenly they won't be able to make deliveries to hungry people. I got 
calls from groups like Rochester Head Start, worried sick they are not 
going to be able to pay rent or pay their staff. I got calls from the 
Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo and Northwell Hospital on Long 
Island, asking if funding was suddenly going to vanish.
  How is freezing all of this funding going to help families pay for 
groceries or make neighborhoods safer or create new jobs? Of course, it 
won't. In fact, it is going to do the opposite.
  One week ago, OMB nominee Russell Vought refused to answer in 
testimony questions about the impoundment of congressional funds. Now 
we know why. He did not want to alert Congress about this freeze on 
funding. Mr. Vought clearly withheld information that Senators were 
entitled to know, and he needs to give us more answers.

  The Senate Budget Committee should not proceed with Mr. Vought's 
confirmation until we get answers. I join my fellow Democrats in 
calling for a 2-week delay of Mr. Vought's markup.