BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Trump administration’s funding freeze is disrupting numerous programs in Vermont and around the country, including education, health care, and housing.
The White House is pausing federal grants and loans starting Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending, causing confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline.
It could impact nearly 200,000 low-income Vermonters who rely on Medicaid, 24,000 who use federal assistance for heat in the winter, 12,000 seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels, and 9,000 on housing vouchers.
Renewable Energy Vermont says the pauses could also impact REAP grants which put money towards clean energy efforts for small businesses and farmers. “We have to be doing our part to transition off of fossil fuels, helping the rest of New England transition off of fossil fuels, and these grants play a small role in the bigger picture in helping Vermonters afford to use energy-efficient equipment who might otherwise might not be able to,” said the group’s Peter Sterling.
The AP reports that New York Attorney General Letitia James plans to ask a Manhattan federal court to block Trump’s order.
