Hear From People Across The Country: Trump’s Federal Funding Cuts Caused Harm and Panic, Public Backlash Continues To Build Momentum

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After rescinding– then un-rescinding– the order to cut federal funding and causing chaos for families across the country, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are still pushing ahead with their plans to slash critical support that working people rely on to pay for more tax breaks for the ultra rich. These cuts threatened to upend necessary child care, education, public safety, and housing support for millions of people. Despite the immediate harm to their constituents, House Republicans quickly expressed support for these funding cuts – all to advance their pro-billionaire agenda

These federal funding cuts endangered countless programs that actively support millions of Americans and threatened hundreds of thousands of jobs that depend on federal dollars. People felt the impact immediately, and the confusion and outrage from those affected was swift and continues to build. 

Hear from working people across the country:

Employees And Parents Panicked As Head Start Centers Closed In Wisconsin

  • FOX6 Milwaukee: The executive director at National Centers for Learning Excellence, Dr. Tim Nolan, said the program won’t resume until he can guarantee his staff will be paid. […] Nolan said his program employs 65 people, with 300 children enrolled. Why you should care: The closure is impacting Shateria Brown, a young single mother. “I was just in shock,” Brown said. “Not everybody got the funds like most. It is harder to pay, you know, for child care and it’s harder to pay for most stuff. Some people are actually out here struggling, hustling to get the funds.”

Families and Educators In Wyoming Worried About If Children Would Go Hungry: 

  • Education Week: At Arapaho Charter High School in rural Wyoming, students on Tuesday morning were already fretting over social media rumors they had seen about funding cuts, said Katie Law, the school’s principal. All of the school’s 52 students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. Many experience homelessness. “Kids are getting off of the bus from breakfast going, ‘What was everybody talking about this morning, that we’re not going to get lunches anymore?’” Law said.

Community Health Centers In Minnesota Are Prepared For Potential Layoffs, Service Cuts, And Clinic Shutdowns:

  • Minnesota Star-Tribune: The funding freeze was threatening to quickly force layoffs, service closures and even clinic shutdowns across the state’s network of community health centers, said Jonathan Watson, chief executive of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers. Sixteen of these safety net clinics operate across Minnesota and collectively receive each year about $45 million in federal grants.

Wisconsin Community Organizations Scrambled For Answers On Funding That Helps Domestic Violence Survivors Afford Rent And Seniors Receive Meals: 

  • Wausaw Pilot and Review: Jane Graham Jennings, executive director of The Women’s Community in Wausau, said federal grant dollars make up about 20 percent of the agency’s total budget…“The biggest devastation is for our Domestic Violence Housing First Project which gives us funding to provide rental assistance for 12-18 months for survivors,” she said. “All of those funds are federal so that means we will not be able to pay the rent they have been promised.”
  • Wausaw Pilot and Review: On Tuesday, a Meals on Wheels spokesperson said, “the uncertainty right now is creating chaos for local Meals on Wheels providers not knowing whether they should be serving meals today. Which unfortunately means seniors will panic not knowing where their next meals will come from.”

Organizations That Advocate For Working-Class Nebraskans Braced For The Impact Of Crucial Programs Being Put At Risk:

  • Local 4 Hastings: Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen issued the following statement, “From what Nebraska For Us can tell, everything from rental assistance, to WIC and home heating funds, along with TANF, Head Start, and Title I education funding could be in danger. These are programs that help working class Nebraskans, who are just fighting to get by, feed their kids and send them to school. This latest order throws so much of our lives into confusion and chaos.”

Charities In New York Raised The Alarm About A Variety Of Programs, Including Food Assistance And Cancer Research, That Receive Federal Funding:

  • Syracuse.com: Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, called the order “a potential five-alarm fire for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve…From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting food assistance, safety from domestic violence, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives.”

This reckless, ill-conceived, and illegal action nearly upended the lives of millions of Americans who rely on federal dollars appropriated by Congress, and it’s just a preview of how Republicans will continue to prioritize tax cuts for billionaires over the needs of the American people.

To learn more about the campaign, visit UnrigOurEconomy.com or contact [email protected]

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