The Trump administration’s decision Wednesday to rescind its order temporarily freezing all federal grant funding came as a relief to Maine officials and social service programs.

“I am pleased that (the Office of Management and Budget) is rescinding the memo imposing sweeping pauses in federal programs,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a written statement. “While it is not unusual for incoming administrations to review federal programs and policies, this memo was overreaching and created unnecessary confusion and consternation.”

Collins, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, joined the rest of Maine’s congressional delegation in criticizing the order Tuesday, calling it “far too sweeping.” Other members of Maine’s congressional delegation, along with Gov. Janet Mills, criticized the move as unconstitutional — one that could have wide-ranging impacts on programs serving Mainers.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey joined attorneys general from more than 20 other states to file a lawsuit to block the order, and a federal judge — responding to a different lawsuit — temporarily blocked it from taking effect Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, the OMB formally rescinded the order.

The news was welcomed by Mills, whose office said in a written statement that the original order was “reckless, legally dubious and caused needless chaos, confusion, and panic for Mainers and businesses.”

Advertisement

“The governor sincerely hopes that this is not a preview of the type of unstable, irresponsible governance that we might expect from the president over the next four years, but, for now, she is not holding her breath,” spokesman Ben Goodman said.

Trump officials said Tuesday that the freeze was necessary to make sure all spending complies with the president’s executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice, and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The order took many by surprise and caused widespread confusion about exactly which federal spending programs would be affected.

In Maine, a web portal that allows health care providers to apply for federal reimbursements for Medicaid, or MaineCare, was not working Tuesday. A spokesperson for the state Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the portal was back online Wednesday and payments were being made to providers.

Public housing agencies also had been unable to access payment portals for programs such as rental assistance and new housing developments.

MaineHousing spokesman Scott Thistle said Wednesday that access to those programs had been restored.

“We began to have access to programs late (Tuesday) afternoon and that continued into the early morning (Wednesday),” Thistle said. “But this memo rescinding the previous memo/order pretty much returns us to the status quo.”

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, praised Maine officials and the congressional delegation for quickly moving to challenge the order.

“The attempt to withhold federal funds already designated by Congress was an overreach that should not have happened in the first place,” Fecteau said in a written statement. “The confusion and worry the president’s reckless action caused for Maine people and folks across the country was unnecessary and harmful. Quick and decisive action from states like Maine and our federal delegation was, and will be, critical to stopping these outrageous attempts to sow chaos and uncertainty.”

Related Headlines

Join the Conversation

Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.