Trump orders sweeping freeze for federal grants and loans | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

61% : U.S. Representative Tom Emmer, the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, said Trump was simply following through on his campaign promises.
50% : As part of the foreign aid suspension, the administration began moving today to stop the supply of lifesaving drugs for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as medical supplies for newborn babies, in countries supported by the United States Agency for International Development.
50% : But those figures appeared to include money authorized by Congress but not actually spent - the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated government spending in 2024 at a much lower $6.75 trillion.
49% : That money plays an especially large role in low-income states such as Louisiana and Mississippi that voted for Trump by wide margins in the November election.
48% : "From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting food assistance, safety from domestic violence, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives," Diane Yentel, president & CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, said in a statement.
47% : "It will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and everything in between: chaos for everything from universities to non-profit charities, state disaster assistance, local law enforcement, aid to the elderly, and food for those in need," Schumer said in a post on X late on Monday.
46% : Trump pledged government support when he visited both places last week.DEMOCRATS CHALLENGE 'UNLAWFUL' MOVEThe memo asserted the federal government spent nearly $10 trillion in fiscal year 2024, with more than $3 trillion devoted to financial assistance such as grants and loans.
40% : The U.S. Constitution gives Congress control over spending matters, but Trump said during his campaign that he believes the president has the power to withhold money if he disagrees.
37% : Trump, who took office on Jan. 20, has in a matter of days ordered a stop to virtually all domestic and foreign aid, after freezing U.S. assistance abroad last week.
35% : Trump's Republican allies have been pushing for dramatic spending cuts, though his vow to spare Social Security and Medicare puts roughly one-third of the budget off-limits.
33% : Trump also could not touch government interest payments, which accounted for another 11% of the budget last year, without triggering a default that would rock the world economy.
28% : During his first 2017-2021 term, Trump sought to redirect spending to border enforcement, prompting a standoff with Congress that led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

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