Re Rivas Hosts Listening Session with Community Health Leaders on Impacts of Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze

LOS ANGELES — Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29) Jan. 31 met with community leaders in the healthcare industry to discuss how President Trump’s halt on federal funding for grants, loans, and assistance would impact their organizations and the people they serve.

“The stories, perspectives, and fears community healthcare leaders shared with me today is proof that President Trump’s Executive Order is nothing more than a power grab that will freeze funding for critical services and drive up healthcare costs for families across America,” said Congresswoman Luz Rivas. “These groups provide critical care, resources, and support for marginalized communities to access care and close the healthcare gap. Many of the people these groups serve rely heavily on federally funded services and grant programs – including Community health centers, CDC grants, WIC, and Head Start and Early Start grants – are at risk of being halted by President Trump. Long story short, President Trump’s federal funding freeze will be a disaster for Americans’ healthcare.”

Background

Listening Session

On Jan. 31, Rep. Luz Rivas and community leaders discussed the potential impacts of the freeze on critical services, programs, and operations.

President Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze 

On Jan. 27 the Trump Administration’s Office of Management and Budget or OMB issued a Memorandum following an Executive Order to halt federal funding that will hurt hardworking Americans.

The Trump Memorandum directed harmful actions, including mandating federal agencies to temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, non-governmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.  

Additional information, including a list of impacted programs, can be found here.

These are the first six of 36 programs that are subject to freeze: 

• Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children or WIC
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP
• Adult Job Training grants
• Rural Electric Cooperatives and Rural Energy for America Program or REAP
• Rural Utilities Service
• Emergency Food Assistance Program or TEFAP Reach and Resiliency