Judge halts White House funding freeze, but what could Trump’s plan mean for Texans?
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth denounced President Donald Trump’s plan to pause federal funding on Tuesday before a federal judge temporarily blocked part of the freeze minutes before it was to go into effect.
Veasey, a Democrat, spoke out after the Office of Management and Budget ordered a halt on a range of federal grants, loans and financial assistance programs, leaving many wondering how this latest executive action will impact state agencies that receive U.S. government funding.
The order was scheduled to go into effect at 4 p.m. Jan. 28. The state Comptroller’s Office said it was evaluating the impact.
“The executive order has far and wide-reaching consequences for all Texans — including those in the Fort Worth-Dallas area,” said Rep. Veasey. “The EO is also unconstitutional.”
The congressman said the move would impact SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid enrollment assistance, the free and reduced-cost school lunch program for low-income students and veterans assistance and care programs.
“Small businesses who rely on government grants and funding will also feel the squeeze as they are suddenly and without warning unable to rely on services and goods provided,” he said.
In a statement, the congressman accused Trump of having “no real solutions for lowering costs for families,” and he characterized the memo’s issuance as the president “just making noise to serve up some red meat.”
U.S. Rep. Craig Goldman, a Republican from Fort Worth, did not respond to a request for comment.
Later Tuesday, CNN reported that a second OMB memo stated the funding pause would not be applied “across the board,” but will only apply to “executive orders that address immigration, foreign aid, climate and energy, DEI initiatives, gender identity and abortion.”
The judge’s order blocking the move lasts until at least Feb. 3 and applies only to existing programs.
What the order said
According to the original memo, the purpose of the pause is to ensure federal spending aligns “with the will of the American people as expressed through presidential priorities.”
The memo went on to say, “The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve.”
According to the first memo, government agencies have until Feb. 10 to submit for review the details of any financial assistance programs affected by this pause, after which the OMB will provide further guidance.
Where does the money go?
Each year, tens of billions in federal grants, loans and direct payments support a variety of programs in Texas. In fiscal year 2024, which ended last August, the state received $58.9 billion in direct federal funding.
Of that, $37.7 billion went to Texas Health and Human Services, which provides public assistance for low-income residents, elderly residents and those with disabilities.
The remainder of the funds were split among the Texas Education Agency, the Department of Transportation, the Texas Workforce Commission, the General Land Office, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Department of Family and Protective Services, among other state agencies.
According to the U.S. government, billions in additional funding came to Texas by way of federal grants. That included nearly $51 billion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, $37.6 billion from the Department of Defense, $34.2 billion from the Department of Veterans Affairs, $13.1 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and more than $8 billion from the Department of Education.
Earlier on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the freeze would not affect individual assistance such as Social Security, Medicare and SNAP benefits.
Representatives at the office of State Comptroller Glenn Hegar said they are unsure of how exactly the executive memo will affect Texas’s budget for the current fiscal year and beyond. When contacted, they were busy reacting to the news and investigating what specific programs would be impacted.
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 4:55 PM.