Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s unconstitutional suspension of Congressionally approved domestic and international grant funding.
“Today, we have witnessed Donald Trump order one of the most transparently unconstitutional actions ever before taken by an American president – an illegal decision that was openly and proudly written by the authors of Project 2025, Donald Trump’s step-by-step manifesto to destroy American democracy. Make no mistake, today’s action represents a significant step towards achieving that goal. Through his illegal decision to suspend federal funding, we will see nonprofits doing essential humanitarian work collapse. We will see small businesses in communities across the country close their doors. We will see seniors and children miss meals and go hungry, we will see our international allies like Haiti be struck with irreparable instability, and we will see our nation’s most vulnerable lose the safety nets they need to survive. Because of the president’s decision, we will see pain – and, unfortunately, that is the point. Every day and with every action, our aspiring dictator-in-chief steals more and more power from the people and the Constitution to centralize within himself and his oligarch buddies.
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“No matter what fiction the White House puts out, let’s be clear: Congress has already authorized and approved this funding. No claims of a ‘mandate’ change this whatsoever. Mr. Trump could have received a billion votes in his election, and that would not give him the power to supersede Congressional authority to pause these payments. And, with this single action, the president has eliminated Congress’ Constitutionally instilled power over the purse. Yet, despite this grave and historic overstep, it seems my GOP colleagues are content to keep their rubber-stamp machine running smoothly. They seem to have abandoned their decency, their dignity, their democracy, and anything they once stood for to appease their king and protect their power.
“Do not be fooled: the president’s overreach will not be limited to immigrant communities, or Democratic voters, or the many groups Donald Trump has sicced hatred on over his career. This decision will harm Americans in every corner of this nation, including the president’s supporters. I say that with full knowledge of the White House’s latest memo that purports to clarify which funds will and will not be impacted – a document not worth the paper it was printed on. The White House’s memo claims Medicaid will not be affected, yet Medicaid systems remain affected across the country. The White House’s memo claims Head Start will not be affected, yet Head Start systems remain affected across the country. The White House has loudly and proudly proclaimed that Americans cannot trust the word of this Administration. With immense fear for the future of these programs and the people who depend on them, I say that we are past the point of panic. It’s time for Congressional Republicans to remember their oaths and join Democrats in putting a stop to this madness – before it consumes our nation and the American people.”
