Federal Spending Freeze Threatens Ecosystems and Public Safety
2 min read
Summary
A suspension of federal assistance ordered by the Trump administration is causing outrage across the US as it affects a broad range of areas, from access to clean drinking water to disaster relief and affordable energy, as well as environmental initiatives.
On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget instructed all government agencies to suspend assistance not in line with the president’s policies, and review all programmes for compliance with his executive orders on immigration, foreign aid, energy, and climate change, among other issues.
It also demanded the cancellation of awards that conflict with these priorities, with little guidance on what would be applicable, but with accompanying instructions asking whether initiatives are affected by Trump’s revoked funding for the US International Climate Finance Plan and whether they impose “an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources”.
fearing that the order may threaten everything from food assistance to efforts to clear land mines in war zones, groups sued, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the order before it was due to take effect.
According to reports, the impact has already been felt, with the National Science Foundation suspending grant reviews and the Department of Energy suspending billions of dollars in loans, grants and other spending.