NYC Politicians: Federal Grant Funding Is Essential To Healthy Lives Of Children, Seniors, Disaster Survivors, Most Vulnerable In Our Communities

Federal Grant Funding Is Essential To Healthy Lives Of Children, Seniors, Disaster Survivors, Most Vulnerable In Our Communities: Local Politicians

Editor’s note: We recently reported on grant funding being distributed under the Infrastructure bill by Fordham University for sustainability and environmental justice related efforts.  Presumably these funds would also be paused, along with funding for so many other vital programs undertaken by state and local governments, non-profits, and others working with the most vulnerable populations of Americans. 

*Update: The memo was withdrawn and the Executive Order has been temporarily suspended by a judge in the case that was filed against the order.  As of now, federal funds are being paid as promised in contracts and appropriations, and municipalities are working to ensure their recipients, who are often on tight budgets and include childcare centers and senior services, are receiving disbursements.  

WASHINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement after the Trump Administration ordered a pause in all federal grants and loans, a sweeping decision that could disrupt education and health care programs, housing assistance, disaster relief and a host of other initiatives that depend on billions of federal dollars:

Let’s be clear. The Trump Administration’s action last night to suspend all federal grants and loans will have a devastating impact on the health and well-being of millions of children, seniors on fixed incomes, and the most vulnerable people in our country. It is a dangerous move towards authoritarianism, and it is blatantly unconstitutional. Our Founding Fathers explicitly gave Congress the power of the purse. Under our system of checks and balances, no president has the right to choose which laws to follow and which laws to ignore.

Further, this illegal action raises more questions than it answers:

Will our nation’s community health centers receive the federal grants they need to continue to provide primary health care to more than 30 million Americans who desperately need it? Or is that on pause?

Will Head Start programs throughout the country receive the federal grants they need to provide high-quality early education to nearly 1 million children? Or will their parents find that they are no longer enrolled in Head Start?

Will pregnant mothers and their babies receive the vital nutrition assistance they need to stay healthy through the WIC program? Or will they be denied the food they need?

Will states be denied the federal grants Congress passed to keep millions of seniors on fixed incomes and families with children warm in the winter through the LIHEAP program? Or will these vulnerable Americans freeze because they are no longer able to pay their heating bills?

These are just a few of the questions that Trump’s dangerous and illegal action has raised.

Bottom line: This unconstitutional memo must be rescinded. The American people — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — must come together to defeat this move towards authoritarianism. If President Trump wants to change our nation’s laws he has the right to ask Congress to change them. He does not have the right to violate the United States Constitution. He is not a king.

GILLIBRAND WARNS OF DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES OF TRUMP’S ORDER FREEZING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, VETERANS, CHILD CARE CENTERS, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, DISASTER AID, AND MORE  

Gillibrand: Funding Freeze Creates Chaos, Undermines Public Safety, And Hurts New York Families  

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wednesday, January 29^th at 11:00 AM: U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference on President Trump’s order to freeze virtually all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government. This freeze would have devastating economic consequences and could block funding for:

• Law enforcement and public safety initiatives, including programs to fight the fentanyl crisis
• New York fire departments, which last year alone received over $16 million in federal grants for lifesaving equipment and training
• All federally funded infrastructure projects, including Syracuse’s I-81 Viaduct project, Rochester’s Inner Loop project, and Buffalo’s Kensington Expressway project
• Disaster relief and emergency preparedness programs that help New Yorkers recover after hurricanes, floods, and blizzards
• Child care centers and public schools that rely on federal funding to keep their doors open
• Nutrition assistance programs like grants to nonprofits that provide assistance to SNAP and WIC recipients, programs which serve millions of New Yorkers
• Veterans’ care, including grants for suicide prevention, health care access, and housing for homeless veterans
• The Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps synagogues and other houses of worship install security measures to protect from terror attacks.
• Cancer and other biomedical research

A funding freeze on these programs would be catastrophic for New Yorkers, and Gillibrand is calling on President Trump to reverse course immediately.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION’S OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET PAUSE TO FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING AND IMPACT TO NEW YORK CITY

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NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams released the following statement following the federal administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announcement that it would pause funding to different federal programs across the nation, including to New York City, which has received an average of $11.8 billion in federal grants over each of the past five fiscal years:

“New Yorkers’ federal income tax dollars are some of the highest in the country. For decades, we have worked with the federal government to bring a huge chunk of those tax dollars back to the five boroughs to pay for critical services New Yorkers rely on and to better the lives of our city’s 8.3 million residents. We are assessing the full reach of the administration’s announcement, as specific programs are not named in the memo. We are in touch with our federal counterparts as we continue to monitor this situation closely, and we will advocate firmly on behalf of New Yorkers whose lives are impacted by affected programs.”

The federal administration’s OMB memo released carves out “assistance provided directly to New Yorkers,” including for Social Security and Medicare, but as additional guidance was just released, the City of New York is still assessing what other, if any, assistance programs would be included in this order. 

NEW YORKERS WILL FEEL THE FREEZE: GILLIBRAND, AG JAMES SOUND THE ALARM ON DISASTROUS RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE COULD MEAN FOR NEW YORKERS’ SAFETY AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING

NEW YORK, NY – On February 2nd, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and New York State Attorney General Tish James sounded the alarm on the disastrous ramifications of President Trump’s ongoing attempts to freeze grants and loans disbursed by the federal government. A federal funding freeze would severely harm New Yorkers, from aid to seniors to funds to address food insecurity and homelessness to critical money for law enforcement.

“The chaos, uncertainty, and disorder fueled by the Trump administration is wreaking economic havoc on families and communities across New York,” said Senator Gillibrand. “A government funding freeze would put both the public safety and well-being of New Yorkers at risk. The Trump administration seems intent on harming New York families. While so much remains in question from this past week, it is imperative that everyone know what is at stake for our city, state, and nation.”

“The public servants who go to work every day to care for New Yorkers and keep them safe rely on federal funds to do their jobs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “This administration is putting New Yorkers in danger by pushing massive cuts to resources that support our most vulnerable communities and public safety efforts statewide. I am leading a coalition of attorneys general to end this destructive policy, and I thank Senator Gillibrand for her partnership as we fight to protect these funds that keep our communities safe.”

“From our non-profits to our public schools, Trump’s reckless funding freeze would have devastating consequences for New Yorkers, particularly with regard to low-income students and the innumerable programs and services they rely upon,” said New York State Senator John Liu. “It’s politics at its worst that puts partisanship before the wellbeing of the most vulnerable among us who depend on federal aid to access essential support services.”

“The ill-conceived White House budget freeze continues to cause great fear, uncertainly, and worry for tens of thousands of community-based nonprofit organizations nationwide — as well as for the tens of millions of the most vulnerable Americans whom we collectively serve,” said Joel Berg, CEO of the nonpartisan nonprofit organization Hunger Free America. “Any threats to nutrition assistance programs are especially counterproductive, undermining the Administration’s claim that it wants to improve public health.”

“The chaos and confusion caused by the Trump Administration’s freeze on contacts is having an immediate and harmful effect on older New Yorkers and family caregivers” said Allison Nickerson Executive Director of LiveOn NY. “Federal programs, like Meals on Wheels and housing assistance, provide life-sustaining support and relief to older adults who are already struggling to make ends meet. Older New Yorkers and citizens across the country expect their government to support them, not pull the rug out from under them. LiveOn NY is grateful Senator Gillibrand continues to fight for the fundamental services that New York’s older adults rely on every day.

While some federal programs are still accessible for the moment, others have been suspended, such as select United States Department of Justice grants. A federal funding freeze has the potential to block billions of dollars in federal grants for New York State. For example:

Federal Counter-Terrorism Funding

1. $290M was allotted to New York for State Fiscal Year 2025.

Senior Nutrition/Meals on Wheels

1. $66M was awarded to New York State-based entities in FY2024 for senior nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels.

1. 1. These grants include HHS’ Older Americans Act Title III Part C Nutrition Services and HHS’ Nutrition Services Incentives Program.

Homeless Shelters

1. $368M was awarded to New York State-based entities in FY2024 to fund homeless shelters, including $227 million for entities in New York City.

1. 1. These grants include programs HUD’s Continuum of Care Program and HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grant Program.

Food Banks

1. $15M was awarded to New York State-based entities in FY2024 for programs that distribute food to people in need, such as food banks.

1. 1. The funding was awarded through USDA’s The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Disability Programs

1. $60B in Medicaid grant funding was awarded to New York State in FY2024.
2. On top of Medicaid, New York State-based entities were awarded $70 million in federal grants for programs, research, and services benefiting people with disabilities in FY2024.

1. 1. This includes at least $9 million for entities in New York City.

FEMA Assistance to Firefighters

1. $13.6M in Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants was awarded to New York municipalities and fire departments in FY2024 to help recruit and train firefighters.
2. $17.8M in Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) was awarded to New York municipalities and fire departments in FY2024 to help purchase firefighting vehicles and equipment.

1. 1. Since FY2023, the FDNY has been awarded over $2M in AFG funding.

FEMA Port Security Grant Program

1. $14.1M was awarded to New York State in FY2024.

1. 1. This included $3.8M for the FDNY,$6.6M for the NYPD, and $880K for the Port Authority.

Banner Image: Homeless.  Image Credit – aamiraimer

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