Democracy Dies in Darkness

White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion

Trillions of dollars could be on hold, according to an Office of Management and Budget memo.

7 min
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Jan. 21. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, according to an internal memo sent to agencies Monday, creating significant confusion across Washington.

Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post
You can cancel anytime.
Subscribe

In a two-page document, Matthew J. Vaeth, the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, instructs federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” The memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, also calls for each agency to perform a “comprehensive analysis” to ensure its grant and loan programs are consistent with President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which aimed to ban federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and limit clean energy spending, among other measures.

Jeff Stein is the White House economics reporter for The Washington Post. He was a crime reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and, in 2014, founded the local news nonprofit the Ithaca Voice in Upstate New York. He was also a reporter for Vox.@jstein_wapo
Jacob Bogage covers economic policy in Congress for The Washington Post, where he's worked since 2015. He previously covered business and technology and wrote for the Sports section.@jacobbogage
Emily Davies is a reporter covering the impact of the Trump administration and the federal government on the D.C. area. Send her secure tips on Signal at 202-412-9091.@ELaserDavies
NewsletterDaily
Today’s Headlines
The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors, delivered every morning.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
U.S. INAUGURATION SALE

Facts don’t change, even when U.S. administrations do.

Get unlimited access to unmatched reporting.
You can cancel anytime.
MONTHLY
$7 99¢ USD every four weeks
for the first year
YEARLY
$70 $20 USD for the first year
  • Unlimited access on the web and in our apps
  • 24/7 live news updates
Add your email address
paypal
Card
View more offers