What happened
The White House budget office Monday ordered all federal agencies to halt the disbursement of grants and loans, a sweeping but confusing directive that challenged the separation of powers and added to the upheaval in Washington after President Donald Trump's first week in office. The State Department paused most foreign aid on Friday. Federal health officials were told Monday to immediately stop all cooperation with the World Health Organization.
Who said what
The scope and legal future of the spending freeze is unclear, Politico said, but it "could affect billions of dollars in grants to state and local governments while causing disruptions to programs that benefit many households."
The unexpected "sudden stoppage" of WHO cooperation could hinder work to stop the spread of viral diseases in Africa and bird flu outbreaks worldwide, The Associated Press said. Doctors and aid workers were told to halt treating people with HIV/AIDS in Africa. The U.S. is "no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said to NPR.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
The funding pause, scheduled to begin Tuesday evening, will purportedly last until a review determines if the programs aligned with Trump's policies. But "no one should believe" this is "only temporary," or legal, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "Congress approved these investments and they are not optional; they are the law."
-
Kristi Noem might not be long for TrumplandIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Homeland Security secretary has been one of the most visible and vocal architects of Trump’s anti-immigration efforts, even as her own star risks fading
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Kristi Noem might not be long for Trumpland
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The Homeland Security secretary has been one of the most visible and vocal architects of Trump’s anti-immigration efforts, even as her own star risks fading
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternative
Speed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s order
Speed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Will there be peace before Christmas in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Discussions over the weekend could see a unified set of proposals from EU, UK and US to present to Moscow
-
‘The menu’s other highlights smack of the surreal’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
