Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Last night, Donald Trump illegally froze all federal grants and loans across the government, impacting trillions of dollars and millions of people in every community across the country.
The unprecedented freeze, announced in a memo from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, lacked specific details about all that could be impacted, causing widespread confusion and uncertainty. The freeze could jeopardize funding for everything from disaster relief to rebuild communities, home heating assistance for the elderly, funding to keep drinking water safe, grid improvements to prevent widespread blackouts, school lunch programs, and even administration of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“In issuing a sweeping halt to federal funding, grants and loans, Donald Trump has yet again, broken both the law and his promise to help American families. His actions immediately and significantly put Americans in danger. Trump could not stand outside to take the oath of office yet he wants to end home heating assistance in the middle of winter, putting more than 7 million households of poor and elderly at risk of freezing. He talks of the cleanest water but is blocking funding to ensure every American has safe water to drink. And he is making his lies about funding failing to reach Americans come true by blocking money to rebuild communities from California to North Carolina devastated by disasters. Donald Trump broke the law, and now our loved ones are at risk, our costs are soaring, and our communities cannot rebuild. This isn’t leadership, it’s cruel and criminal.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.