White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds her first news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TRUMP ADMIN’S TEMPORARY FEDERAL GRANTS, LOANS FREEZE
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan for the District of Columbia, appointed by former President Joe Biden, imposed an administrative stay on Tuesday afternoon, pausing the Trump administration’s action.
The administrative stay pauses the freeze until Monday.
The White House stressed that despite the memo being rescinded, if money coming out of federal agencies is at odds with the president’s executive orders, for example, funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, those funds will still be frozen.
But programs including Social Security benefits, Medicare, food stamps, welfare benefits and other assistance going directly to individuals will not be impacted under the pause, according to Leavitt.
Leavitt, during the White House press briefing on Tuesday, described the pause as "temporary," and noted that the Trump administration has executed other freezes throughout the government, including a regulatory and hiring pause.
"It’s incumbent upon this administration to make sure, again, that every penny is being accounted for honestly," Leavitt said.
Additionally, Leavitt said that Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency that aims to eliminate government spending and waste identified $37 million that was about to go to the World Health Organization, along with $50 million to "fund condoms in Gaza."
"That is a preposterous waste of money," Leavitt said.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-remains-committed-freezing-federal-funds-aimed-woke-programs-despite-rescinding-omb-memo