U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono and U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda have issued a statement condemning President Donald Trump’s recent federal funding freeze, describing it as a move that could significantly impact Hawaii’s financial support from the federal government.
“Eight days into his dictatorship, President Trump has mandated a federal funding freeze that will cost Hawaii hundreds of millions in federal support,” the statement reads. They emphasized that even a temporary freeze would disrupt funding for disaster relief efforts in Lahaina and essential programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, and nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and WIC.
Hirono and Tokuda accused Trump of breaking promises to lower costs for families, stating, “Donald Trump is breaking the law in a desperate attempt to destroy programs that keep our keiki fed, enable our kupuna to access health care, support our local businesses, and keep our communities functioning.” They expressed relief over a court temporarily blocking what they called an “illegal order” but acknowledged ongoing challenges ahead.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent out a memo last night directing all federal agencies to halt disbursements of grants and loans temporarily. The memo instructs agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” According to OMB, this pause aims to ensure compliance with Trump’s executive orders banning diversity initiatives, limiting clean energy spending, and ending foreign aid financial assistance.
The memo was set to take effect on January 28 at 5:00 pm ET.
