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President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has ordered all federal agencies to temporarily block the disbursement of most grants and loans.

According to a Roll Call report, the block does not involve Social Security, Medicare and other programs providing direct aid to individuals. The temporary pause, which goes into effect today at 5:00 p.m. EST, is based on what an OMB memo said was to ensure agencies were in compliance with Trump’s executive orders to erase “Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies” from federal programs.

“Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,” wrote Acting OMB Director Matthew Vaeth in the memo. “This memorandum requires Federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President’s policies and requirements.”

Among the programs that could be impacted are the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program and Environmental Protection Agency grants to states and localities for clean water infrastructure. Reports from the federal agencies on all accounts subject to the pause are scheduled to be submitted to the OMB by Feb. 10.

The OMB memo added that each federal assistance program will be assigned to “a senior political appointee to ensure Federal financial assistance conforms to Administrative priorities.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) condemned the action for “blatantly” disobeying the law.

“Donald Trump’s administration is jeopardizing billions upon billions of community grants and financial support that help millions of people across the country,” Schumer said. “It will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and everything in between: chaos for everything from universities to nonprofit charities.”

Photo courtesy of the White House