Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander urges Mayor Eric Adams to sue President Donald Trump over federal funding freeze. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025.
Photograph Credit score: Ayman Siam/Workplace of NYC Comptroller
Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander and different metropolis officers urged Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday to both straight sue or be a part of different authorized actions to guard the $11.8 billion in federal funding that town may lose resulting from President Trump’s newly enacted federal funding freeze.
Trump’s Workplace of Administration and Finances (OMB) introduced on Monday night time that it could pause all federal grant and mortgage funds because it conducts a “review” of spending to make sure they align with the torrent of govt orders he issued final week. His actions touched a number of areas, resembling dismantling federal range and inclusion applications, executing mass deportations of undocumented migrants, and rolling again local weather change-fighting insurance policies.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, nevertheless, Reuters reported {that a} federal choose in Washington, DC quickly paused a part of the Trump funding freeze till at the very least Monday, Feb. 3, following authorized motion from a consortium together with the Nationwide Council of Nonprofits. The teams had argued that the OMB lacked the authority to chop off funding, and that the directive itself violated the First Modification as a result of it focused grant recipients primarily based on their political leanings.
In line with Lander, town’s fiscal watchdog, Trump’s freeze may reduce off Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) funding geared toward serving to town recuperate from the COVID-19 pandemic and cash for infrastructure initiatives handed via the Federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act. Whereas OMG stated in its memo that Social Safety and Medicare are exempt from the freeze, different public help applications, like these administered by nonprofits and people funded via block grants, are in a extra precarious state.
“This is money that goes to our hospitals, this is money that pays the rent for low-income families, this is the school lunch money in our public schools,” Lander stated at a Jan. 28 press convention. “Hundreds of millions of dollars are at risk here that would have direct, devastating impact on working families and, of course, on cities and states themselves.”
‘Stealing our lunch money’
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks throughout a Home Republican members convention assembly in Trump Nationwide Doral resort, in Miami, Florida, U.S. January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
The comptroller additionally raised considerations about what may occur to New Yorkers who depend on applications the Supplemental Dietary Help Program — also referred to as Meals Stamps, Medicaid, and Part 8 housing vouchers.
Nevertheless, Mayoral spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus, in a put up on X, pointed to new steerage launched by Trump’s finances workplace indicating that these applications and several other others wouldn’t be topic to the freeze. But a number of reviews indicated that Medicaid’s on-line portals have been down in a number of states on Tuesday.
Lander, who’s operating for mayor towards Adams, stated town ought to both file its personal authorized motion or be a part of bigger brewing lawsuits to dam Trump’s pause on federal funding. He stated town may be a part of a go well with that state Lawyer Normal Letitia James plans to announce later Tuesday on behalf of a multi-state coalition or one other introduced by a bunch of nonprofits and small companies in Washington DC.
“New York City has to take action; this is literally the bully stealing our lunch money,” Lander stated. “And it is critical for New York City to stand up and be counted and make clear that we won’t stand for it.”
The Metropolis Council, in a put up on X, additionally pressed Adams to take authorized motion in its personal Tuesday afternoon assertion.
“From our children and families to older adults and students, President Trump’s decision to halt federal aid will endanger our economy and the health and safety of our residents and Americans across the nation,” they stated. “This demands a clear and coordinated response from the mayoral administration to join with cities and states throughout the US to protect the services our residents depend on.”
‘Assessing the situation’
In a press release, the mayor didn’t handle whether or not town would take or be a part of authorized actions towards Trump’s order. He stopped wanting taking an adversarial tone towards the White Home however stated he would “advocate firmly” for town’s pursuits.
“We are assessing the full reach of the Trump administration’s announcement, as specific programs are not named in the memo,” Adams stated. “We are in touch with our federal counterparts as we continue to monitor this situation closely, and will advocate firmly on behalf of New Yorkers whose lives are impacted by affected programs.”
Lander charged that Adams, whose workplace has stated he’s “not feeling his best” this week, has to date not taken a tough line towards Trump’s motion as a result of he’s searching for assist from the president along with his federal indictment.
“Today, perhaps that has to do with his illness, and I want everyone to be healthy,” Lander stated. “But in days even before that, Mayor Adams has appeared as someone more interested in seeking a pardon for himself than standing up for the people who elected him.”
