US President Donald Trump has suspended grants, loans and other federal assistance, according to a leaked governmental memorandum, which was verified by the American PBS partner, CBS News.
In the memo, the President on behalf of the Office of Administration and Budget (OMB) calls on government agencies to ensure that spending is consistent with Trump's priorities – and a number of executive orders provided by the return president.
The complete effect of stopping temporarily was not yet clear, although the memo determines that the advantages of medical guarantee and social security are not affected. It comes days after the United States stops almost all external aid.
The members of the opposing Democratic Party have criticized this step. Legal challenges.
The memo, signed by the OMB commander, Acting Matthew Fayth, calls on government agencies to temporarily stop their financial aid programs, so that they can review spending that can be affected by the various orders signed by Trump.
She says this includes “financial assistance to foreign aid, NGOs, Dei, the rhythm of the gender ideology, and the new green deal.”
A final date has been set from 17:00 ES (22:00 GMT). Each agency is required to stop issuing new awards in addition to paying money under the current awards.
The memo also requires all agencies to report the programs that were suspended by February 10.
The White House did not officially comment on the leaked document.
Democrats in Washington, DC, were quick to express anxiety about the plan.
The best democratic allocated in Congress – Senator in Washington Batti Murray and a member of Congress at Connecticut Rosa Deloro – sent a message to the White House on Monday evening, expressing their “strong warning” with the memo.
“The scope of what you ask is to pick up breathtaking, unprecedented, and will have devastating consequences throughout the country,” Congress wrote. “We write today, we urge you to the most powerful possible conditions for supporting the law and the constitution and ensuring the delivery of all federal resources in accordance with the law.”
The leader of the democratic minority of the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, also criticized the temporary stop: “Congress approved these investments and they are not optional; they are the law.”
He added: “This will mean the lists of missing salaries and lease payments and everything between: the chaos of everything from universities to non -profit charities.”
The move comes after last week's news that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stopped all existing foreign assistance and stopped new help, according to an internal memorandum sent to US officials and embassies abroad.
It seems that it affects everything from development assistance to military aid, which makes exceptions only for emergency food aid and military financing for Israel and Egypt.
Trump had previously issued an executive order with 90 days to help external development awaiting a review of efficiency and consistency with his foreign policy.
The United States is the largest donor of international aid in the world, as it spent 68 billion dollars (66 billion pounds) in 2023, according to government figures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs's notification appears to affect everything from development assistance to military aid.
