Get the facts: What the federal funding freeze means locally
Updated: 8:50 PM CST Jan 28, 2025
POSTPONED. LATE THIS AFTERNOON, A FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKED PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PLAN TO PAUSE FEDERAL AID SPENDING. AND THAT PAUSE RUNS THROUGH NEXT MONDAY, WHEN ARGUMENTS ARE SCHEDULED IN THE CASE. BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A FREEZE CAUSED A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS AND FOR WHO. WVTM 13 ZOE BLAIR DUG INTO THE INITIAL ORDER TO GET THE FACTS FOR US. YEAH, GUYS, LESS THAN 24 HOURS AGO, ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES RECEIVED THIS MEMO TELLING THEM TO TEMPORARILY PAUSE ALL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO OBLIGATION OR DISBURSEMENT OF ALL FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IT WAS SET TO TAKE EFFECT AT THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS TODAY. WHILE IT’S ON HOLD FOR NOW, IT COULD HAVE HUGE IMPLICATIONS RIGHT HERE IN OUR AREA. BIG BROTHERS AND BIG SISTERS OF GREATER BIRMINGHAM SAYS IT WILL LOSE ACCESS TO OVER 30% OF ITS BUDGET. WE’VE BEEN TOLD THIS IS TEMPORARY, BUT WHAT TEMPORARY MEANS IS ONCE THE MONEY STOPS FLOWING TO US, IT MAY BE A LONG TIME BEFORE IT STARTS FLOWING BACK. AND THAT’S MY BIGGEST CONCERN, IS THAT THOSE THAT NEED THE MONEY THE MOST, LIKE THE CHILDREN, ARE GOING TO BE THE MOST IMPACTED. MANY PEOPLE ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS LIKE FOOD STAMPS AND SOCIAL SECURITY. ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE SAFE. INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE THAT INCLUDES. I’M NOT NAMING EVERYTHING THAT’S INCLUDED, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A FEW EXAMPLES, SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS, MEDICARE BENEFITS, FOOD STAMPS, WELFARE BENEFITS, ASSISTANCE THAT IS GOING DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUALS WILL NOT BE IMPACTED BY THIS PAUSE. THE FREEZE ALSO RAISES CONCERNS FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SOUTHERN RESEARCH, WHO WORK ON FEDERAL FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS. THEY SAY THEY’RE MONITORING THE SITUATION CLOSELY AS IT DEVELOPS, AND SO ARE WE. WE’LL KEEP DIG
Get the facts: What the federal funding freeze means locally
Updated: 8:50 PM CST Jan 28, 2025
An abrupt halt on federal loans and grants left many Americans questioning how they might be affected, including food assistance programs. WVTM 13 has the facts on what programs will be directly affected.In a memo released Monday night, the Trump administration ordered all federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham said this order means they’re losing at least 30 percent of their funding.”We’ve been told this is temporary, but what temporary means is once the money stops flowing to us, it may be a long time before it starts flowing back,” CEO Sue Johnson said. “That’s my biggest concern is that those who need the money the most, like the children, are going to be the most impacted.”The freeze was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Minutes before that happened, a federal judge halted the freeze and set a hearing for further arguments Monday morning, Feb. 3. The exact details of what funding will be frozen have caused some confusion. During the administration’s first press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that individual assistance will not be affected. “This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration,” Leavitt said. “Individual assistance that includes, I’m not naming everything that’s included, but just to give you a few examples, Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.”It also raises questions about what will happen to federally funded projects like the work done at Southern Research. WVTM 13 reached out to Southern Research to find out about that funding. A representative said they will be monitoring new developments closely.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —An abrupt halt on federal loans and grants left many Americans questioning how they might be affected, including food assistance programs. WVTM 13 has the facts on what programs will be directly affected.
In a memo released Monday night, the Trump administration ordered all federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham said this order means they’re losing at least 30 percent of their funding.
“We’ve been told this is temporary, but what temporary means is once the money stops flowing to us, it may be a long time before it starts flowing back,” CEO Sue Johnson said. “That’s my biggest concern is that those who need the money the most, like the children, are going to be the most impacted.”
The freeze was scheduled to go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Minutes before that happened, a federal judge halted the freeze and set a hearing for further arguments Monday morning, Feb. 3.
The exact details of what funding will be frozen have caused some confusion. During the administration’s first press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that individual assistance will not be affected.
“This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration,” Leavitt said. “Individual assistance that includes, I’m not naming everything that’s included, but just to give you a few examples, Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause.”
It also raises questions about what will happen to federally funded projects like the work done at Southern Research. WVTM 13 reached out to Southern Research to find out about that funding. A representative said they will be monitoring new developments closely.
