‘What the president has done is clearly illegal': Bay Area rep slams Trump funding freeze
'What the president has done is pretty clearly illegal,' said Lofgren, speaking to KRON4's Justine Waldman. 'Congress has appropriated these funds, he's required under law to see that the laws are faithfully executed. There have been numerous cases since the Nixon presidency indicating what he's doing is illegal.'
'We now have a right-wing Supreme Court. Do they plan to overturn half a century of case law? Who knows with those guys?' Lofgren added. 'We are going to fight this as best as we can. Lawsuits have already been filed.'
San Francisco launches immigrant resources hub
'President Trump can review all he wants, and if he has recommendations, he can come to the Congress to make changes — propose changes to the law. But what he's doing here is wrong and illegal.'
'The lower courts are bound to follow existing law and the law is that this is illegal. Now maybe the right-wing Supreme Court wants to change the law, but until they do, I'm hopeful that the lower court will follow what has been a half century of precedent.'
Bay Area Congressman Sam Liccardo (D-San Jose) also slammed President Trump's federal funding freeze as unlawful.
'If you don't think the Trump administration's illegal impoundment of all federal funding will harm every corner of our community, consider the thousands of parents who cannot go to work if they depend on child care funded by Head Start, and the millions of residents imperiled by potential delays in the rebuilding of the Anderson Dam.'
'Sensible budget-cutting requires discernment, not disregard for human suffering from halting essential public safety, health care, or disaster relief. I will fight to push the President to abide by the 1974 Budget and Impoundment Control Act and our Constitution.'
Trump's abrupt federal aid freeze has drawn widespread backlash and reportedly led to State Medicaid programs across the country reporting they've lost access to federal payment portals.
At a White House press briefing Tuesday, President Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the freeze as a 'temporary pause' while the Office of Management and Budget reviews 'the federal funding that has been going out the door.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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