Federal funding freeze stirs panic, confusion for Tarrant County Meals on Wheels
DALLAS - News of a federal funding freeze sent non-profits scrambling over fears they were about to be cut off.
Organizations like Meals on Wheels rely heavily on federal funding to be able to serve their clients. But a lack of clear messaging from the White House left many in the dark over whether they would be affected and, if so, what to do next.
Even after a federal judge blocked the freeze from taking effect on Tuesday afternoon, organizations spent the day trying to understand if a chunk of their funding was hours away from being cut off.
And there are still questions as the Trump administration tries to move forward with the plan.
Pres. Trump's Executive Order
What we know:
The order says of the $10 trillion the federal government spent in fiscal year 2024, more than $3 trillion went to federal assistance such as grants and loans.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to explain the president’s intent Tuesday in her first press briefing.
"He’s just trying to ensure that the tax money going out the door in this very bankrupt city actually aligns with the will and the priorities of the American people," she told reporters.
The Trump administration memo says the freeze would apply to programs affected by the president’s executive orders on topics ranging from immigration to DEI.
One executive order mentioned is titled "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government."
The White House specifically said social security, Medicare, welfare benefits and food stamps will not be affected.
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A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's freeze on federal grants and loans that could total trillions of dollars.
Meals on Wheels Impact
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Local perspective:
Nationwide, 37% of Meals on Wheels funding comes from the federal government.
Tarrant County Meals on Wheels regularly serves food to 7,000 people.
"We provide daily safety checks and lifesaving meals to people who are unable to provide meals for themselves and really have no one to do it for them," said Keith Harrison with the Fort Worth nonprofit.
Once news of President Donald Trump’s order to pause federal grant, loan and financial assistance programs came down Tuesday morning, panic struck several non-profits.
"It caused a lot of concern this morning," said Harrison.
But by Tuesday afternoon, Meals on Wheels found out it appears to be exempt from the order. It received clarification from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget that "any program that provides direct benefits to individuals is not subject to the pause."
"There’s still a lot of confusion around the executive order," said Harrison. "I don’t want to speculate on what might happen when we don’t have all of the facts."
For now, Meals on Wheels is grateful that it appears to be able to move forward with business as usual.
"We are solely focused on providing nutritious meals so that our clients can continue to live independently," said Harrison.
Dallas County Addresses Confusion
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What they're saying:
Dallas County Clay Jenkins held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to try to address some of the confusion but even admitted he’s unsure of the full impacts of the freeze.
"Your guess is as good as mine as to what that means, but I’m pretty sure we’re not involved in that," he said.
Jenkins believes most county programs will align with requirements but did point out that some solar energy grants it’s applied for might go against the president’s energy plans.
"This is an evolving situation," he said.
What's next:
The judge’s administrative stay was prompted by a lawsuit filed by several nonprofits. The temporary block is in effect until Monday afternoon.
More clarification will likely come in the next few days.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Tarrant County Meals on Wheels, Tuesday's White House press briefing, the Associated Press and national news coverage.