White House at sunset (Photo – maxpixel.com).
Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) issued a sharp rebuke on Tuesday, Janauary 28, following a memorandum from the White House Office of Management and Budget directing a freeze on all federal grants and loans, effective at 5:00 pm ET.
By John Boucher
The order, according to Chu, will have devastating impacts on communities across the country, including Los Angeles County, where the congresswoman represents.
In a statement, Chu condemned the move as “illegal” and “unconstitutional,” stressing that it would freeze essential services like disaster relief, health care, cancer research, Meals on Wheels, and housing for homeless veterans. “What an absolute disaster,” she said, emphasizing that the freeze jeopardizes crucial programs that millions of Americans rely on.
The congresswoman also pointed to the contradiction between the current President’s recent visit to Los Angeles, where he expressed full support for wildfire survivors, and the funding freeze that now threatens the very disaster relief needed by those same survivors. [T.] “told victims of the wildfires in Los Angeles County on Friday that he is with us ‘100%.’ But this decision puts disaster relief we are relying on at risk,” Chu said.
Rep. Chu expressed concern over the broader implications of the freeze, particularly for her constituents and local organizations working on recovery efforts. “I’m working to determine how this decision will impact all my constituents, businesses and organizations around the Los Angeles area,” she said.
Chu also criticized the T. Administration’s broader approach to governance, calling the freeze an example of the chaos and confusion the president frequently creates. “This order is typical of a [T.] Administration’s approach to governing: creating a crisis for no reason,” she said.
The congresswoman also took aim at her Republican colleagues, noting that while most of them were gathered at T.’s resort in Doral, Florida, discussing tax cuts for the wealthy, they were turning a blind eye to the real-world consequences of such a funding freeze. “They might want to tell him how funding freezes will hurt their districts and their constituents,” she said.
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