On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order calling for a federal “funding freeze,” and Matthew J. Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) subsequently issued a memo directing heads of executive departments and agencies to temporarily pause the disbursement of federal financial assistance.
The memo also charged agencies with completing “a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities” that don’t — as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said — “align with [Trump’s] agenda.”
Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance responded on BlueSky, writing “presidents can’t hold back congressionally allocated funds because they disagree with a project. But that’s what Donald Trump is trying to do & the real question is whether this SCOTUS will let him get away with it.”
According to a Nixon-era law & SCOTUS case, presidents can’t hold back congressionally allocated funds because they disagree with a project. But that’s what Donald Trump is trying to do & the real question is whether this SCOTUS will let him get away with it. joycevance.substack.com/p/impoundment
— Joyce White Vance (@joycewhitevance.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 8:55 AM
When the OMB released a 20-word memo (see below) on Wednesday rescinding Vaeth’s original order, Vance also criticized the entire effort, writing: “Sloppy. We’ve been told they [sic] better prepared & well organized for 2.0 but I’m seeing a lot of cracks in the facade and that’s an opportunity for people who love democracy to protect it.”
Sloppy. We’ve been told they better prepared & well organized for 2.0 but I’m seeing a lot of cracks in the facade and that’s an opportunity for people who love democracy to protect it.
— Joyce White Vance (@joycewhitevance.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Note: Trump’s nominee to head the OMB is Russell Vought, who led OMB during Trump’s first term. Vought, one of the authors of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, has vowed to “faithfully implement the president’s policies.”
Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee boycotted Thursday’s scheduled vote on Vought’s nomination, writing in a statement that they refused to “vote for someone so clearly unfit for office.” Republicans advanced Vought without Democratic support. His full Senate confirmation hearing will be next week.