Democrats to hold ‘emergency’ meeting on Trump’s spending freeze
House Democratic leaders have arranged an “emergency” meeting of the full caucus on Wednesday in response to President Trump’s decision to freeze a large chunk of federal spending.
The meeting, which was announced to member offices by email on Tuesday morning, will be conducted over Zoom, since the House is currently in recess while Republicans hold their annual issues retreat in Florida.
The virtual gathering, which was first reported by Punchbowl News, is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, and only lawmakers — not staff — are invited to participate.
Separately, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to his troops on Tuesday in which he hammered Trump’s spending freeze as an “illegal” effort to manipulate “taxpayer funds that have been lawfully appropriated by Congress.”
Jeffries said Wednesday’s caucus discussion will feature the rollout of “a comprehensive three-pronged counteroffensive,” to include “an appropriations strategy, … a litigation strategy, and a communications strategy.”
“All members should also prepare to participate in a Day of Action during this district work period,” Jeffries wrote.
The hastily called meeting hints at the extraordinary nature of Trump’s move to “pause” federal grants, loans and other federal outlays, which was announced by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Monday.
That policy shift was just the latest in a long string of executive actions taken by the new president during his first days in office — and virtually all of them have been opposed by Democrats on Capitol Hill. But the sweeping scope of the OMB move — which has the potential to suspend trillions of dollars in federal outlays to schools, hospitals, local governments and countless nonprofit groups — has stunned Washington, where even some top Republicans are warning that the delivery of public services will suffer as a result.
The administration has defended its policy, arguing that it’s just a temporary pause in some federal spending designed to allow the various agencies to review their programs to ensure they align with Trump’s promises to the voters who gave him a second term. Any funding for diversity programs or environmental initiatives, for instance, appears poised to be cut.
Democrats have bashed the freeze, accusing the administration of violating a federal law requiring presidents to spend federal money as directed by Congress. Jeffries said Trump’s strategy is part of a broader effort to find budget savings to pay for an extension of the GOP’s 2017 tax cuts, even if it comes at the expense of programs designed to help the working class.
“Republicans are ripping off hardworking Americans by stealing taxpayer dollars, grants and financial assistance as part of their corrupt scheme to pay off billionaire donors and wealthy corporations,” Jeffries wrote in his “Dear Colleague” letter.
“The Republican Rip Off will raise the cost of living for the working class, while hurting children, seniors, veterans, first responders, houses of worship and everyday Americans in need.”
The comments arrive as Democrats have come under some degree of fire from critics who contend they haven’t pushed back hard enough against Trump’s unilateral moves over the last week.
Updated at 2:45 p.m.
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