GAO finds Trump's Head Start funding freeze illegal, citing harm to low-income families
As President Donald Trump took the oath of office for a second term on January 20, 2025, a less visible but deeply consequential shift began to take place across the country. Funding for Head Start — the federal early education program that serves nearly 800,000 low-income children — was quietly delayed, triggering confusion, closures, and chaos.
Now, the government's own watchdog says that delay was illegal.
GAO: HHS violated federal law
In a report released Wednesday, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This law prohibits the executive branch from withholding congressionally approved funds without formal justification and notification to Congress.
"We conclude that HHS violated the ICA," the GAO stated, citing the agency's failure to distribute Head Start funds from January 20 until April 25.
Though payments eventually resumed, the disruption had already caused damage to families, educators, and the infrastructure of early childhood care.
HHS pushes back
Despite the GAO's determination, HHS strongly disputed the findings. "HHS did not impound Head Start funds and disputes the conclusion of the GAO report," said Andrew Nixon, HHS Director of Communications. He added, "GAO should anticipate a forthcoming response from HHS to incorporate into an updated report."
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GAO officials noted that HHS failed to provide information they requested regarding the delays, further undermining the department's defense.
Families left stranded
The consequences were immediate and widespread. Parents dependent on Head Start programs were suddenly forced to find emergency childcare, often at personal cost. Some centers suspended services or warned of impending closures, while staff members faced layoffs and funding uncertainty.
In May, Reuters reported that delays in grant approvals had left many of the nation's Head Start centers in limbo. The closure of five HHS regional offices — located in Boston, Chicago, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco — only deepened the operational paralysis.
A broader strategy to shrink government
The Head Start funding freeze did not happen in isolation. It was part of a sweeping effort by the Trump administration to slash federal spending and reduce the size of government.
At the helm of this initiative was Elon Musk, who was appointed to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
According to funding trackers maintained by congressional Democrats, nearly $943 million in Head Start funds were frozen at one point this year. Across all agencies, approximately $425 billion in federal funding was on hold as of June 3.
Congressional outrage mounts
Lawmakers reacted sharply to the GAO's findings.
Representative Rosa DeLauro, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, issued a blunt assessment.
"It does not matter how long these funds were frozen. The chaos and uncertainty of illegally withholding these funds is costly and hurts the hundreds of thousands of families that depend on Head Start," she said.
Legal and political fallout looms
The GAO's ruling adds weight to a series of legal and political battles now forming over the administration's sweeping budget interventions.
While HHS has pledged to respond, critics argue the damage has already been done.
Beyond the legal infraction lies a deeper question about executive authority. Can a president override Congress on federal spending? And at what cost to the nation's most vulnerable?
For the children whose preschool programs went dark and the parents forced into emergency care arrangements, those questions are not theoretical. They are daily realities shaped by decisions made in Washington — and now deemed illegal by the nation's top government watchdog.
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