Democrats have little legislative power to address the Trump administration’s sweeping order freezing federal funds. The current strategy is to make sure everyone back home knows what is happening, and litigate — aggressively.
Minutes before it was set to take effect, a judge temporarily halted the freeze on federal grants and loans in response to a lawsuit from Democracy Forward and a group of nonprofits. It’s one of many lawsuits filed against the Trump administration today and an early indicator of how Democrats will be resisting Trump’s policies.
But as the fight over the Office of Management and Budget’s directive on federal grants and loans plays out in the courts, Democrats in Congress are also plotting their political response.
Democrats have already given the attempt to freeze federal funds a name.
“The Republican Rip Off will raise the cost of living for the working class while hurting children, seniors, veterans, first responders, houses of worship, and everyday working Americans in need,” Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a Dear Colleague letter.
The caucus will meet virtually on Wednesday to strategize around a three-pronged approach articulated in the letter: appropriations, litigation and communications.
Jeffries’ immediate directive: Tell constituents about the OMB’s order.
“We are speaking out loudly and clearly,” Sen. Patty Murray said. “We’re having press conferences hours after we found [out] about this. We are making sure that everyone understands what is at stake here. We are asking our Republican colleagues to join us. They, too, have something at stake in following the rule of law here.”
Republicans have dismissed any potential maleffect associated with the OMB’s order.
The Trump administration maintains that the order is clear on what the federal aid freeze will and will not impact despite offering no new details during the White House press briefing this morning.
Democrats are also rebutting on this front.
“Don’t believe these people,” Sen. Chris Murphy said on X, adding that despite the administration’s claims that funds aren’t being stopped, the Head Start reimbursement system is down, as well as Medicaid portals.
House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro circulated a fact sheet, outlining all the ways Democrats expect the order to disrupt access to programs like Community Development Block Grant Funding, and grants and programs for veterans.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was pointed in his assessment of how a freeze would impact Americans and exactly who was to blame for it.
“Last night, President Trump plunged the country into chaos. Without a shred of warning, the Trump administration announced a halt to virtually all federal funds across the country. In an instant, Donald Trump has shut off billions, perhaps trillions, of dollars that directly support states, cities, towns, schools, hospitals, small businesses and most of all, American families,” he said. “This is a dagger at the heart of the average American family. … It is just outrageous.”
As for the legal fight, even before a judge stayed the freeze, Democratic senators told NOTUS that they would take this to the courts first and foremost.
“Obviously, you use the legal system. You use all the tools in the toolbox. You use the floor of the Congress. You use the legal system. I can believe that a lot of Republicans are going to get a lot of complaints about this too,” Sen. Ron Wyden said. “This affects a lot of stuff. Somebody asked me, am I hearing from people already about the problems, housing, veterans, things like that. My answer was hell yeah.”
The preeminent question is whether or not Trump’s order violates the Constitution, as he seeks to block the federal government from issuing money that Congress had already appropriated.
“We have three coequal branches of government, that’s our system,” Sen. Raphael Warnock said. “I’m not a lawyer, but I think there’s some real questions about the legality of these actions, and I think we need to use every tool at our disposal.”
New York Democrat Attorney General Letitia James, as well as attorneys general in other blue states like California and Illinois, announced that they would be suing the Trump administration, seeking a court order to immediately stop enforcement of the OMB policy on the same grounds.
“The president does not get to decide which laws to enforce and for whom. When Congress dedicates funding for a program, the president cannot pull that funding on whim,” James said. “We are preparing to defend our Constitution. This president has exceeded his authority. He has violated the Constitution. And he has trampled on the coequal branch of government.”
Republicans are maintaining that there’s no cause for concern.
“I don’t know what’s so startling about a new CEO coming in, telling everybody in the company — in this case the federal government — I need to figure out the money coming in and the money going out,” Sen. John Kennedy said. “The only reason it’s become an issue is because my Democratic friends don’t have anything else to criticize. They’re on their back foot. They’re floundering. They lost the election, and they can’t get a toehold on how to go with President Trump. About 90% of this stuff is just political bullshit.”
Democrats insist they have a toehold just fine.
“Oh, we’re going to make sure this doesn’t just come down to the courts,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth said. “We’re gonna fight him.”
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Violet Jira is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
Katherine Swartz, Ben T.N. Mause, and Margaret Manto, NOTUS reporters and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows, contributed to this report.