After Public Outcry Donald Trump Rescinds Federal Funding Freeze—Your Voice Always Matters!
What’s Happening?
On Monday night, the country descended into panic as Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing all federal funding. This impacted everything from homeless and domestic violence shelters, to food stamps, to student loans, to Medicaid, to Meals on Wheels, and more.
In the memo announcing the order, the Office of Management and Budget wrote that its goal was “ending ‘wokeness’ and the weaponization of government, and Making America Healthy Again.” They also described the purge of funds to end programs that “advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and Green New Deal social engineering policies,” stating they’re, “a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Despite assurances that individual benefits such as Medicaid and SNAP wouldn’t be affected, Medicaid portals across all 50 states were non-operational Tuesday morning.
President Trump stated that the order was to “purge the government of wokeness”, and to review federal funding. Nonprofits spoke out. Programs such as Headstart and Meals on Wheels would only be able to keep their doors open for a few days to a few weeks without federal funding, devastating communities across the country.
The freeze was set to take effect Tuesday at 5 p.m. But after lawsuits, public outcry, and legal blocks, the administration rescinded the order in a two-sentence notice Wednesday.
Why this is a feminist win:
Public outrage, social pressure, and legal challenges forced the administration to stand down on a clear overreach of their authority — and it worked. Trump’s administration’s actions show that they are not afraid to overstep their boundaries. In order to keep the balance, we must remember that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power. Your voice matters, always use it.
“Americans fought, and Donald Trump backed off.” - Chuck Schumer
Sources: AP, NPR, Reuters
