Examiner #1 - Executive Power

“The contest for ages has been to rescue liberty from the grasp of executive power.”

-Daniel Webster

In the past week, while you have been very busy grocery shopping, running errands, taking care of your family, and working, President Trump has been very busy too. The President has written Executive Orders encompassing freezing of federal grants and loans; firing of federal

government employees; issuing of 1,500 pardons related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot; and more....

Our goal is to discuss what Executive Actions may mean and how it may affect you, your family and your community.

You may have heard of the freezing of federal funds. Regarding the freeze on federal funds: a federal judge last Tuesday issued a stay against a White House directive that ordered a spending freeze on federal assistance. Prior to the stay, many in Washington and organizations around the country were in chaos as they scrambled to figure out how their programs would be affected. Please note, news of the freeze came as a surprise when the late-night memo was published by news outlets.

Judge Loren L. AliKhan for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said she would put the matter on a temporary pause as she considers arguments from the U.S. government and the plaintiffs in the case, who had asked for the court to issue a restraining order against the government to stop the funding freeze.

The memo issued from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget called for a spending freeze on federal assistance by 5 p.m. last Tuesday, which could have affected everything from aid to nonprofits, universities, small business loans and state and local government grants. AliKhan paused the enforcement of the directive until at least Monday at 5 p.m. to allow for further litigation.

"In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the media coverage," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday.

Should this order be enacted, any federal aid freeze could have wide-ranging implications for federal assistance programs.

But even if the order ends up being more narrowly tailored, it could still have serious financial implications for the millions of Americans who receive federal assistance, experts said.

“If it's resolved quickly, the aggregate economic effects for the first quarter will be modest, but it will matter a whole lot to people on the other side of these expected payments," Edelberg said. "It could be the difference between having a job and not, getting evicted or affording food — and the economic numbers won't fully reflect how individuals are going to feel this.”

Before the OMB abruptly reversed course, experts had questioned the policy, saying it was

poorly thought out and implemented.

"If this was being undertaken pursuant to the executive orders on [diversity, equity and

inclusion], why would the administration issue such broad, unclear and confusing directions?" Tad DeHaven, a policy analyst focusing on economic and fiscal policy issues at the libertarian Cato Institute, told CBS MoneyWatch.

So, for right now, there is a pause on the federal freeze. How-ever, Engage Women will keep

you informed of any new developments.

Respectfully,

Engage Women

Resources:

New York Times

Newsweek

The White House

Fox News