On Senate Floor, Shaheen Condemns Trump Administration Order to Stop all Federal Funding for Grants and Loans, Shares Granite Staters’ Stories to Detail Impact of Decision on Families, Seniors and Businesses

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to condemn the Trump administration’s order to take away federal grants and loans that families, seniors and small businesses in all 50 states rely on for critical, often life-saving services. Shaheen illustrated the chaos caused by the extreme order by sharing the stories of many Granite Staters she has heard from in the past two days. Click here to watch the Senator’s full speech. 

Key quotes from Senator Shaheen: 

• “This is a decision that does not lower costs, it does not create jobs, it does not enhance public safety or keep our communities safe. It's a decision that actually will hurt people in my state of New Hampshire and too many across the country who rely on services that are now in jeopardy.” 

• “People in our states can't get the housing that they're counting on. If they can't get their funding, that means more people are forced to live in their cars, on the streets. It means more people can't get the help they need with substance use disorders or finding work. It means more people are stuck without permanent housing. And these are veterans, they’re families, they’re victims of domestic violence – they’re all placed at risk because of this order.” 

• “Another of my constituents, Kathleen, lives in housing for seniors. She has debilitating medical issues that make it hard for her to leave her home. She gets all of her food from a local food bank. She called my office because she's worried that if this funding stops, she'll be on the street, and she doesn't know where her meals will come from. That’s what this order and these cuts are threatening.” 

• “Common sense calls for all of us to work on a bipartisan basis to help our constituents and put an end to the chaos that has been created by this administration in only its second week. I hope we can do that.” 

On Monday, the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a sweeping executive order pausing almost all forms of federal assistance to states, nonprofits, non-governmental organizations and more. Senator Shaheen immediately condemned the move and emphasized the impact it will have on communities. The full list that agencies were directed to review encompasses over 2,600 assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), community health centers, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), transportation and highway funding, energy assistance programs, water infrastructure funding, State Opioid Targeted Response grants, GI Bill, veteran compensation for service connected disabilities, Section 8 vouchers, school breakfast and lunch, Title I education grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Head Start. 

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