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White House rescinds federal spending freeze order (Updated x5) - Judge will grant TRO after Leavitt statement

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* NBC News Senior National Political Reporter…

🚨🚨 The White House is RESCINDING the memo that took effect yesterday on the federal aid freeze.

Story tk w/ @PeterAlexander @kate_santaliz. Memo below. pic.twitter.com/nUxWFDxwzs

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 29, 2025

Should be fun watching how all the cheerleaders for that unconstitutional nonsense yesterday react now - or whether the White House doubles down in a different way.

If you want to cut the federal budget, you gotta pass a bill.

The original memo is here, and the spreadsheet with impacted programs is here.

…Adding… More from NBC…

A senior administration official confirmed to NBC that the original OMB memo is rescinded, and said that additional guidance is to come.

…Adding… People are already rushing to their favorite reporters to take credit. From The Hill…

The decision came amid strong behind-the-scenes pushback from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, according to a GOP senator who was apprised of the decision to reverse the policy order. […]

GOP senators had been flooded with calls from community leaders who expressed confusion and concern about losing federal grants.

…Adding… NY Times…

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, emailed the following statement after the retraction of the funding memo:

“In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage. The executive orders issued by the president on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments. This action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the president’s orders on controlling federal spending. In the coming weeks and months, more executive action will continue to end the egregious waste of federal funding.”

The “dishonest media coverage.” Hilarious. Leavitt couldn’t answer questions about it yesterday.

They could’ve done funding reviews without unilaterally (and unconstitutionally) cutting off funding. This was such an unnecessarily cruel plan that was doomed to failure.

…Adding… This is from the EO on government funding…

Each agency, department, or commission head, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Director of OMB, and the Director of OPM, as appropriate, shall take the following actions within sixty days of this order:

terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions (including but not limited to “Chief Diversity Officer” positions); all “equity action plans,” “equity” actions, initiatives, or programs, “equity-related” grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.

provide the Director of the OMB with a list of all:

agency or department DEI, DEIA, or “environmental justice” positions, committees, programs, services, activities, budgets, and expenditures in existence on November 4, 2024, and an assessment of whether these positions, committees, programs, services, activities, budgets, and expenditures have been misleadingly relabeled in an attempt to preserve their pre-November 4, 2024 function;

Federal contractors who have provided DEI training or DEI training materials to agency or department employees; and

Federal grantees who received Federal funding to provide or advance DEI, DEIA, or “environmental justice” programs, services, or activities since January 20, 2021.

direct the deputy agency or department head to:

assess the operational impact (e.g., the number of new DEI hires) and cost of the prior administration’s DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” programs and policies; and

recommend actions, such as Congressional notifications under 28 U.S.C. 530D, to align agency or department programs, activities, policies, regulations, guidance, employment practices, enforcement activities, contracts (including set-asides), grants, consent orders, and litigating positions with the policy of equal dignity and respect identified in section 1 of this order. The agency or department head and the Director of OMB shall jointly ensure that the deputy agency or department head has the authority and resources needed to carry out this directive.

So, unless they want another court fight, they won’t be terminating much of anything. And the rest is what they should’ve been doing in the first place: Examining spending and reporting back to OMB.

…Adding… This is a different judge in the state attorneys general lawsuit…

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:04 pm

Comments

Our best hope is that this lot is as fumblingly stupid as the prior bunch was.

Our second-best hope is that national Democratic leadership encourages fiery, vocal, and constant opposition. I think I’ll go buy some Powerball tickets instead of waiting for that bet to hit.

Comment by Roadrager Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:09 pm
To quote the great Gilda Radner:
“Never mind.”

Comment by Da big bad wolf Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:15 pm
I think Trump realized how many of “his people” would dislike him for this once they figured out what was going on. Now, he needs to find a new way to escape his inner monologue of his father calling him a failure.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:15 pm
My thinking is that they’ve come up with a better (read as more destructive to their enemies) idea.

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:18 pm
A very dangerous clown show has begun.

Comment by Tired Teacher Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:20 pm
My other thought is that Rauner called him. 😋

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:22 pm
Aww… and things were going so well…. /s
Pretending that reality is satire is the only way to get through this administration.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:23 pm
Unfortunately too many are doubling down….claiming the future of the nation is at stake. In the Bible it talks about how we care for the poor, the widows, the orphans, etc. How can anyone be happy that the Meals on Wheels program should be suspended because of “illegals”. Stopping funding for our Veterans Homes because of “illegals”. When did the health and welfare of the most vulnerable in society come second to a person’s political agenda?
I agree that there is wasteful spending but to shut everything down? That is the mark of a King not a President. Especially since he can just “order” or “rearrange” how funds are spent without shutting the entire system down.

Comment by Appears Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:25 pm
I would love to see a follow up interview with all the cheerleaders for the signing of this EO especially Stephen Miller

Comment by illinifan Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:28 pm
“took effect” is a generous characterization. sahil is usually pretty good, but unconstitutional orders don’t “take effect.”

Comment by MRL Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:29 pm
=To quote the great Gilda Radner:
“Never mind.”=

well played.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:30 pm
Well that was a fun little distraction from the cabinet confirmation hearings that are still happening as we speak. Thankfully there are only 1,452 more days of this nonsense.

Comment by I-55 Fanatic Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:31 pm
===sahil is usually pretty good===

It’s on the fly. Give him some grace.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:31 pm
Shock and flaw.

Comment by Hmmm. Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:32 pm
===My thinking is that they’ve come up with a better (read as more destructive to their enemies) idea.

They are going to try, but they don’t understand government and they aren’t willing to put the work in to be successful. It’s the same thing as last time, just slightly more ambitious. They can still do a lot of harm, but often not in the way they intend.

Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:32 pm
Word is they are tailoring and trying again. March looms large.

Comment by 32nd Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:41 pm
===Word is they are tailoring ===

lol

They can do all this in their budget proposal.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:42 pm
Point is to get the SC.

Comment by 32nd Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:47 pm
He made his point whatever he thought it was. Caused massive chaos scared people and now he will move on to other illegal or unconstitutional activities.

Comment by DuPage Saint Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:49 pm
Is this a reason why some posts show up and others don’t?

Comment by 32nd Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:53 pm
===Point is to get the SC. ===

They can’t do that because they dropped the idea. The case is moot.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:57 pm
“… focus on enforcing the president’s orders on controlling federal spending.”

“Controlling” federal spending is done through the appropriation process. Wonder if they realize Congress can override his appropriation vetoes, and the spending happens no matter what he thinks / says / does … .

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:57 pm
===Is this a reason===

The fact that you admitted you are actively attempting to avoid screening means you will likely be immediately deleted from here on out.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:58 pm
WH spox now saying the EO is still in affect, just the one memo is withdrawn to end the court case. Judges love when you do those things.

Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:58 pm
===WH spox now saying the EO is still in affec===

Refresh and check the update.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 12:59 pm
Ask a simple question and you get threatened with a permanent ban. Geez.

Talk about Midwest nice.

Comment by 32nd Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:04 pm
When you’ve got a guy who has a history with reality tv, this is what follows. Impulsivity yes. Reasoned responses not so much.

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:04 pm
==Talk about Midwest nice.==

So you decided to double down on stupid and now are rear end hurt. Typical. Lol.

Comment by low level Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:10 pm
We should view this as a temporary win and not a permanent one.
The strategy is first to overwhelm with a show of force. 200+ Executive Orders, all these sweeping actions. It makes him/them look powerful and invincible/inevitable. This is meant to have the impact of paralyzing people. To make you feel like there is nothing you can do to overcome this, so you don’t look too closely to see that so much is illegitimate or made of smoke and mirrors. The other part is to see who complies without being forced to, who does their work for them. Like, no one told Target they had to stop their DEI work. Target just complied. Sure makes their jobs easier to see who falls in line without pushing back.

But there is the standard incompetence and carelessness too. When you don’t actually care about government, you don’t invest the time to understand what it does and how it works, and why it works the way it does. So they go in with shallow knowledge and assumptions and literally 2024 high school grads to make these things happen.

Comment by Andrea Durbin Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:13 pm
==Ask a simple question and you get threatened with a permanent ban. Geez.==

Rich is a big boy and doesn’t need my defense, but it seems you’re new around here. Rich has been pretty consistent in the years I’ve been following this page that consistently half-baked thoughts and trolling for reactions are grounds for dismissal. It’s a big part of why he screens. Instead of implying some sort of animus where there is none, orient yourself with the way things work.

Comment by Anon324 Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:13 pm
https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-lackeys-office-personnel-management-opm-neuralink-x-boring-stalin/

Comment by Andrea Durbin Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:14 pm
Thanks Rich! Of course you got there immediately.
Andrea–excellent points and the confusion over what the rescission means will make agencies be extra cautious.

On posts showing up–there are both gremlins in browsers and then some things get flagged by the commenting system. If it’s a valuable comment it will usually show up even if a bit later.

Comment by ArchPundit Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:18 pm
Piggybacking off what Anon324 said. If you don’t like the way Rich runs his site, you are welcome to start your own site and allow whomever you darn well please to comment.

Comment by Former Downstater Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:29 pm
- Talk about Midwest nice. -

Another snowflake heard from.

Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:30 pm
@Andrea Durbin makes a couple of very good points. This is a tactical move more so than a policy move. Flood the zone to overwhelm. So much is utter nonsense and performative to illicit a reaction from the left as much as anything.

=Thankfully there are only 1,452 more days of this nonsense.=

I don’t think that is the plan. I think they plan to hold government for a much longer time and I am not talking about winning elections.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:44 pm
Roadrager…the best opposition strategy at this point is to let the governors like JB and good government folks lead with suits in federal court, allowing the public to get a break from Congressional Dems. Additional loud squawking is not helpful with a public tired of their message. After a period of chaos and incompetence, the public might be more accepting of the Dem message.

Comment by Jibba Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:49 pm
===The decision came amid strong behind-the-scenes pushback from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, according to a GOP senator who was apprised of the decision to reverse the policy order.===

To whom should I give credit for this unexpected but welcome GOP intervention? Why wouldn’t someone want to publicly oppose this grossly unconstitutional power grab? Don’t hide your light under a bushel.

If this is accurate, someone deserves some praise. Does anyone else find it curious that the heroes don’t want to be identified?

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 1:51 pm
It’s like the Illinois Freedom Caucus crazies are “running” the country. SMDH

Comment by George Ryan Reynolds Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 2:24 pm
Leavitt is 27. Maybe get someone with experience for a position at that level.

Comment by Big Dipper Wednesday, Jan 29, 25 @ 5:50 pm

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