Reed Rebukes Trump’s Disruptive Blanket Suspension of Federal Funds for RI

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, who, along with his colleagues in the Rhode Island Congressional delegation, was among the first lawmakers to sound the alarm about President Donald Trump unilaterally directing a halt to federal grant funding for Rhode Island and states nationwide, issued the following statement as the fallout from Trump’s freeze metastasizes:

“President Trump’s disruptive blanket suspension of these federal funds threatens real harm to Americans everywhere.  Trump’s directive is already sewing confusion and chaos with respect to health care, education, housing, disaster aid, and more.  Legal action by organizations and several states, including Rhode Island, is being initiated.  But there is a much quicker, less costly solution here: President Trump should immediately rescind this reckless and unconstitutional directive.  He needs to do it fast because every day this drags on the impacts grow worse.  He should stop wasting taxpayers’ money and putting people, communities, and essential services at risk.

“I will continue working to halt this irresponsible freeze and ensure federal resources are administered in accordance with the law.”