Trump halts all federal grants and loans

The administration of US President Donald Trump has decided to halt all federal grants and loans starting Tuesday, which could disrupt health care, education, housing assistance, disaster relief, and other programs that rely on those grants or loans.

The acting head of the Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the federal budget, Matthew Feith, said in a memo issued on Monday that funding will stop while the US administration reviews grants and loans to ensure they are consistent with Trump’s priorities and the comprehensive executive orders he issued after his inauguration in the White House, which led to the end of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

According to “Reuters,” Matthew Feith added that using federal resources on policies that oppose Trump’s list of priorities “is a waste of taxpayer money and does not improve the daily lives of those we serve.”

Feith said in his memo that the halt includes any amounts allocated to “foreign aid” and “non-governmental organizations,” among other areas and programs.

Departments and agencies have until Feb. 10 to provide detailed information about any programs that are subject to the suspension of grants and loans. The White House said Social Security payments, Medicare and “direct assistance to individuals” would not be affected. Food assistance for the poor and payments for people with disabilities would not be affected, but it is unclear how severely health care programs for veterans and low-income people would be affected.