Catholic bodies sound alarm at Trump funding freeze blocked by judge

“This freeze will be detrimental to millions of our sisters and brothers who need access to lifesaving humanitarian, health, and development assistance.”

President Donald Trump attempted to halt all federal grants until his administration could determine if the funding aligns with his priorities. 

This was due to begin at 5pm on 28 January, but a judge temporarily blocked the move and the administration withdrew the directive ordering the halt the next day. Trump also ordered a review of all foreign aid programmes, insisting that they “put America first”.

The order from the Office of Management and Budget, targeted agencies including Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the US arm of Caritas.

“In the interim, to the extent permissible under applicable law, federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be impacted by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organisations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal,” it read.

Kerry Alys Robinson, president and chief executive of Catholic Charities USA, responded: “The millions of Americans who rely on this life-giving support will suffer due to the unprecedented effort to freeze federal aid supporting these programmes.”

A host of civic and religious agencies administer programmes including nutritional assistance for children, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, and homeless shelters. A report by Forbes on 3 February said CRS was the largest single recipient of USAID funding in the years 2013-22, receiving $4.6 billion.

The US bishops’ conference and CRS sent out an “action alert” to Catholics via email in response to the order.

“Your help is urgently needed! Let your members of Congress know that you are deeply concerned about the administration’s recent decision to stop work on almost all US foreign assistance programmes,” the alert stated.

“This freeze will be detrimental to millions of our sisters and brothers who need access to lifesaving humanitarian, health, and development assistance.”

USAID, which supports humanitarian operations throughout the world, was instructed to stop funding programmes that provide life-saving drugs to combat HIV, malaria and other treatable diseases. Food aid would also be impacted.

Under the Constitution, the power to appropriate funds rests with Congress, not the President. A series of judicial decisions have ruled against previous efforts by the White House to impound funds that had already been appropriated.

As the administration reversed a series of domestic and international climate policies, the Catholic Climate Covenant in the US and the Laudato Si’ Movement – North America expressed alarm in a joint statement.

“Rather than embrace and advance this country’s essential role in domestic and global responsibilities to confront this existential crisis, this new administration has chosen to relinquish scientific and economic potential, freeze US commitments, and abdicate leadership on climate policies,” the said on 27 January.

They urged the Trump administration to reverse these decisions, adding: “We call on Congress to hold firm on commitments to domestic and international climate programmes and financing.”

Citing Pope Francis’ words in Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, as well as the US bishops’ 2019 statement of concern for communities negatively impacted by climate change, they criticised the administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, cutting global adaptation funding, freezing Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Act funds helping the most vulnerable, gutting environmental organisations and agencies, and undermining progress on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and adaptation programmes.

They said that Trump’s executive orders “not only call into question the administration’s claims of caring for our country and its economic well-being – they threaten the rights to life and dignity of all people, which are key to Catholic Social Teaching”.

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