Trump Threatens to Defund Kids Meals, Head Start, Medicaid, Rural Healthcare, Police, Firemen, and Border Security; AG Mayes Sues; Other Arizona Leaders React

From Senator Ruben Gallego’s X Account.

The aspiring American Duce and his band of incompetent and insensitive MAGA White Nationalist-Ultra Conservative-Neo Fascists are at it again.

This time with the issuing of an extremely vague Executive Order with about 24 hours’ notice that threatens to cut off federal funding to a wide array of Congressionally approved, and Biden/Harris signed, government, intergovernmental, business, and not-for-profit organizations that serve the nation’s most vulnerable and protects United States security.

So much for America First and a new Golden Age.

Trump also conducted another late-night purge yesterday (January 27, 2025,) removing (probably illegally) Democratic members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and National Labor Relations Board.

People and organizations are scrambling to see if they will be affected.

Chaos and confusion, thanks to Trump and his MAGA administration’s actions, are widespread in Arizona and across the country.

Reassurances from the Administration that the potential funding cut-offs would only affect Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI,) Clean Energy, Abortion, and LGBTQ anti-discrimination programs (sane people should ask why would he want to cut those anyway) have fallen on deaf ears as officials charged with distributing Head Start and Medicaid payments to needy people can not access the online portals to process the paperwork.

Even if this is a temporary cut-off to sites because of predictable Trump-MAGA incompetence, Trump does not have the Constitutional authority per the 1974 Impoundment Act to deny spending that has already been approved and lined up to be distributed.

He does not have the power to rescind Congressionally mandated appropriations and pick who he feels should be the haves and have-nots.

Many people in state and local agencies in addition to the ones mentioned above including Rural Hospitals, Police, First Responders, Universities, Public Schools, and Border Patrol, are wondering if their funding will be cut off.

Two lawsuits have been launched. One filed by Not for Profit Organizations. The other by Arizona and 22 other states.

A D.C. Federal Judge, Loren AliKhan, acting on the lawsuit from the Not for Profits, has put a temporary block on the Executive Order.

National and Arizona Democratic leaders expressed their outrage minutes after the Executive Order was released.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media:

Arizona’s leaders also expressed outrage at the Trump-MAGA chaos and insensitivity in this Executive Order to the needs of Arizonans and the American People.

Citing the aforementioned 1974 Impoundment Act, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs sent a letter to the State’s Congressional Delegation, demanding they get immediate clarification from the Trump Administration.

Included in her correspondence were:

“I am writing to bring to your immediate attention the unconstitutional actions taken by President Trump through executive orders that direct federal agencies to withhold critical funding already appropriated by Congress and signed into law. These sweeping orders have created chaos in Arizona and jeopardized billions of dollars essential to Arizona’s health care, public safety, veterans services, and support for vulnerable families.”


“The President’s actions have put the well-being of Arizonans at risk, due to the disruption of critical state-administered programs. runding freezes threaten essential healthcare access, leaving families, children, and seniors unable to receive lifesaving treatments or prescriptions. Families are at risk of losing access to child care, meals to feed their children, and safe and reliable housing. Veterans, already facing barriers to care, may lose access to vital health services, housing assistance, and mental health resources. Law enforcement could lose critical resources to fight drug smuggling and human trafficking. And victims of domestic violence may
have nowhere to escape from their abusive partners.”


“Without these programs, Arizonans will be denied healthcare, families will struggle to stay housed, and communities will become less safe. The effects of this funding freeze will have impacts across the state, and weaken Arizona’s ability to care for its residents.”


“Congress must act. These actions directly violate the Constitution’s delegation of the power of the purse to Congress and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Courts, including the Supreme Court, have made it clear that presidents cannot unilaterally withhold the funding appropriated by Congress for these services.”

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined 22 other states in launching a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for this Unconstitutional Executive Order.

It is the second time in a week Mayes department has had to sue the Trump Administration for an Unconstitutional Act with the first one being the aspiring American Duce’s whites-only drive to do away with birthright citizenship.

Holding a press conference this afternoon, Attorney General Mayes started off by saying “Another week. Another blatantly illegal and Unconstitutional action from Donald Trump.”

Calling the Trump Executive Order to cut off federal funding “lawless,” “chaotic” and “blatantly Unconstitutional” with a possible first move to cut trillions in spending to pay for the expansion of his tax cuts for the rich, Mayes pointed out that if Trump gets his way, vital areas to the State Budget and other major contributors to Arizona’s economic and social well being would be affected including:

  • Border Security.
  • Police and first responders.
  • Head Start for 135,000 Arizona Pre-Schoolers.
  • School meals for one million Arizona children.
  • 55 Rural Hospitals across the state.
  • Medicaid including patients that need surgery and assistance with birth deliveries.
  • Universities.
  • Roads and bridges.
  • Housing assistance.
  • Disaster aid.
  • Veterans Health Care.

Reminding reporters that Trump did not achieve “dictatorial powers” after winning with one of the slimmest margins in United States History, Mayes said “No Presidential Election grants any President that authority” and the Administrative Procedures Act and Constitution does not allow any National Chief Executive “The authority to oppose a government-wide pause on federal spending.”

On the threat of cutting off border security programs such as stopping the flow of drugs across the border, Mayes remarked that “Donald Trump wants to declare drug cartels terrorists with one breath and in the next breath, he is defunding our efforts to bring those drug cartels down. That is outrageous.”

Mayes also called out Arizona Republicans in Congress (Andy Biggs, Juan Ciscomani, Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Abe Hamadeh, and David Schweikert,) and leaders at the State Legislature (Warren Peterson, Steve Montenegro) for being noticeably silent since the issuance of the Trump-MAGA Executive Order, asking “Why are they not standing up for law enforcement and this illegal money grab. They sure as hell aren’t standing up for law enforcement or the people of Arizona.”

The Attorney General concluded her remarks by stating:

“MAGA policy is on the verge of becoming reality and it will devastate this state and I will not allow that to happen.”

Before Mayes’s conference, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued a press release that read:

“We have received notice from the U.S. Department of Education indicating that this pause does not affect funding for Title I economically disadvantaged schools, special education funding, or other formula grants. Nevertheless, because there are many details yet to be clarified, as a contingency I have directed this department to draw down the funds needed during the two-week period covered by the federal pause. Like all state education agencies throughout the country, we are expecting further details from the federal government on the implications of this pause so we can respond accordingly. This pause does not affect the $6 million to be allocated to the Isaac Elementary District. Our department is already processing those funds.”

Earlier in the day, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly issued a statement that read:

“This morning, I’m hearing from folks in every corner of the state—Mayors, county supervisors, community organizations, and Arizonans are worried about how this will cut off our law enforcement, meals for seniors and school children, projects to respond to and prevent floods and wildfires, housing and health care support for everyday people.

“President Trump’s recklessness is going to harm Arizonans.”

Senator Ruben Gallego issued a series of social media posts including the below one condemning the Trump-MAGA action:

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, speaking on the threat to funding first responders, posted:

Arizona House Congressional District Three Representative Yassamin Ansari was the first to react to the Executive Order, issuing two posts over the last 24 hours.

Echoing everyone else, Representative Greg Stanton posted:

Arizona House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos issued a press release rebuking Trump for his attack on the people through his Executive Order, writing:

“People could die as a result of Donald Trump’s illegal order to freeze federal aid. Even if the White House backs away from parts of this order, this was either an act of incredible cruelty or bumbling incompetence — neither bodes well for our country. Trump’s illegal order has shut down virtually all federal state aid, including Medicaid in Arizona. The billionaires clamoring for their tax cuts won’t feel the pain, but everyone else will. If allowed to stand, this illegal order will rip away healthcare coverage from two million Arizonans: Hospitals will close, people will suffer, and people could die. Meals for the elderly will go undelivered, and veterans will go without benefits they have earned, and which sustain them day by day. Funding for law enforcement and child protective services will be stopped and our homes and neighborhoods will be less safe. A federal judge has already temporarily halted this blatantly illegal act, but it must be permanently reversed.”


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2 thoughts on “Trump Threatens to Defund Kids Meals, Head Start, Medicaid, Rural Healthcare, Police, Firemen, and Border Security; AG Mayes Sues; Other Arizona Leaders React”

  1. So much bad news, here’s some good news to cheer us up!

    Kyrsten Sinema has found gainful employment working on one of the convicted rapist and felon Don-old Trump’s crypto scams.

    I know here many fans here were worried!

    Oh, AZDems, you have so much ‘splainin’ to do.

    Reply
    • It’s interesting that she isn’t a University President, a position she stated was one of her possibilities. A crypto scam does seem more in alignment with her experience gained in the Senate.

      Reply

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