White House pauses federal grants, other programs implicated by executive orders; OMB says Medicare and Medicaid not affected by pause

The White House Office of Management and Budget late Jan. 27 issued a memo directing federal agencies to temporarily pause federal grants, loans and other financial assistance programs implicated by President Trump’s recent executive orders. 

“Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” according to the memo. The temporary pause was to take effect Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. ET.

A federal judge shortly before then temporarily halted the freeze from taking effect. 

The pause will not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits, nor does it include “assistance provided directly to individuals,” according to the memo. In a guidance document released Jan. 28 by OMB, the agency said that mandatory programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program “will continue without pause.” 

The memo calls on agencies to submit to OMB “detailed information on any programs, projects or activities subject to this pause” by Feb. 10.

In its first week, the Trump administration has issued an unprecedented series of executive orders and administrative actions that reinforce the administration’s priorities.