Trump spending freeze could have wide-ranging impacts

Yahoo

29-01-2025

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY-TV) — Keeping the Chesapeake Bay clean, keeping food on tables and keeping a roof over heads may be at stake under a new directive from President Donald Trump that halts most federal spending except for Social Security and Medicare.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump admin's freeze on federal grants, loans
In a memo, Trump wrote that 'the use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars.'
Rep. Bobby Scott, in Portsmouth Wednesday for the groundbreaking of an affordable apartment complex, said the Trump directive could hurt plans to help people.
'So if you've got a project and they're expecting money, it just puts a stop to it,' Scott said. 'And a lot of the projects, when you put a stop to funding that you're expected, what happens? The project is stalled.'
The tolls of life in Portsmouth are heavy, as 17.6% of the city's residents live in poverty. The national rate is 12.5%. Mayor Shannon Glover is assessing how the halt will affect the city's 97,000 residents.
'A lot of our dollars that we get here in the city of Portsmouth is federally-funded,' Glover said. 'Even our schools, perhaps, come under a great deal of federal funding.'
Glover is developing a plan to approach members on both sides of the aisle to secure federal support for Portsmouth.
'Well, we are going to look at this, first of all, and see how it's going to impact Portsmouth,' Glover said. 'And then we're going to call on all of our leaders from all parties who will look at this and determine how they can ensure that Portsmouth and cities like Portsmouth have those basic and fundamental needs met by our federal government.'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing Tuesday afternoon that individuals will not be impacted by the federal spending freeze.
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