- Temporary Restraining Order Notice – 1/31/2025
Here is a summary of the key terms:
1. Federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations on the basis of the OMB Memo, or on the basis of the President’s recently issued Executive Orders.
2. This prohibition applies to all awards or obligations—not just those involving the Plaintiff States in the above-referenced case—and also applies to future assistance (not just current or existing awards or obligations).
3. Agencies may exercise their own authority to pause awards or obligations, provided agencies do so purely based on their own discretion—not as a result of the OMB Memo or the President’s Executive Orders—and provided the pause complies with all notice and procedural requirements in the award, agreement, or other instrument relating to such a pause.
4. Out of an abundance of caution, all federal agencies (even those not named as defendants in the case) should comply with the above-referenced terms.
- White House budget office rescinds federal funding freeze – 1/29/2025
The Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget has rescinded a controversial order that froze a wide range of federal financial assistance, which had disrupted many federal programs and caused significant uproar on Capitol Hill. The reversal, signed by Acting Director Matthew Vaeth, came after strong pushback from Republican lawmakers who were inundated with calls from concerned community leaders. The freeze had caused confusion and concern about the loss of federal grants, with the biggest issue being an outage of Medicaid’s web portal, which affected many states and led to a public outcry.
- OMB Memo M-25-14 Recission of M-25-13 – 1/29/2025
OMB Memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded. If you have questions about implementing the President’s Executive Orders, please contact your agency General Counsel.
- Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans – 1/28/2025
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s directive to pause federal funding for grants and loans while his administration conducts an ideological review. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan, came just minutes before the freeze was set to take effect, following a lawsuit from nonprofit groups. The stay lasts until Monday afternoon, with another hearing scheduled. The directive, which aimed to align federal spending with Trump’s executive orders, caused widespread confusion and panic among states, schools, and organizations reliant on federal funds. Democrats criticized the move as reckless and unconstitutional, while the administration argued it was necessary to ensure compliance with Trump’s policies.
- Judge blocks Trump’s spending freeze – 1/28/2025
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s directive to freeze federal aid programs, citing the need for more time to assess its implications. The stay, issued by Judge Loren AliKhan, prevents the suspension of congressionally appropriated funds until February 3. Nonprofit and public health groups argued the freeze would cause severe harm and infringe on First Amendment rights by targeting DEI programs. The Trump administration defended the freeze as necessary for compliance with recent executive orders. Further hearings are scheduled to continue the litigation.
- Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit, Seeks Immediate Court Order to Block Sweeping OMB Directive Freezing up to $3 Trillion in Vital Federal Funding – 1/28/2025
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 23 attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit to block a new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directive that freezes up to $3 trillion in federal assistance funding. The directive, effective January 28, 2025, pauses funding for disaster recovery, public health, education, and public safety programs. The attorneys general argue that the directive is unconstitutional, violates the Administrative Procedure Act, and causes immediate harm to states by disrupting essential programs and creating regulatory chaos. They seek a temporary restraining order to prevent the directive’s implementation, highlighting the devastating impact on state programs, including disaster relief for Los Angeles’ wildfire recovery.
- Q&A Regarding Memorandum M-25-13 – 1/28/2025
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidance to temporarily pause certain federal financial assistance programs that are implicated by President Trump’s Executive Orders. This pause does not apply to programs providing direct benefits to individuals, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP. The guidance lists specific Executive Orders, including those on energy, environmental agreements, and government DEI programs. Agencies are to consult with OMB to determine if programs are affected, and the pause is not considered an impoundment. The goal is to ensure programs align with the new administration’s policies.
- Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs – 1/27/2025
The memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget, issued on January 27, 2025, by Acting Director Matthew J. Vaeth, announces a temporary pause on all federal financial assistance programs to align spending with President Trump’s priorities. Agencies must review and identify programs that align with the administration’s goals, such as reducing inflation and eliminating “wokeness.” The pause, effective January 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM, allows time for a comprehensive review. Agencies must submit detailed information on affected programs by February 10, 2025, and assign senior political appointees to ensure compliance. Exceptions may be granted by OMB on a case-by-case basis, and certain legally required actions may continue.
- Guidance Regarding Section 7 of the Executive Order Unleashing American Energy M-25-11 – 1/21/2025
The memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget, dated January 21, 2025, and issued by Acting Director Matthew J. Vaeth and Kevin Hassett, provides guidance on implementing Section 7 of the Executive Order “Unleashing American Energy.” It requires agencies to pause disbursement of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for programs that may conflict with the policies in Section 2 of the order, which aims to terminate the “Green New Deal.” Agencies can disburse funds after consulting with the Office of Management and Budget.