A federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s plan to freeze federal aid minutes before it was set to go into effect late Tuesday afternoon.
The “brief administrative stay” came shortly after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded a host of questions from the press corps from the briefing room for the first time on Tuesday.
She announced at the top that the Trump administration plans to shake up the Brady briefing room and allow a plethora of “new media” to have access to the White House.
Trump’s order that federal agencies pause the disbursement of loans and grants sent shockwaves through Washington.
A Monday night memo issued by Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), directs federal agencies to temporarily pause “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance” while the government conducts a review to ensure spending aligns with Trump’s agenda.
Also Tuesday, House Republicans are still holding their annual policy retreat in Florida, and Vice President Vance is expected to address the conference. The Hill’s Emily Brooks will also host an interview with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at 5:30 p.m. EST.
And Florida will hold special primary elections for the 1st and 6th districts.
Follow along with live updates below.
Trump’s spending freeze roils Capitol Hill
The Trump administration’s expansive freeze on federal grants and other executive spending roiled Washington on Tuesday, drawing howls from Democrats — and a few well-placed Republicans — who say the president is abusing his powers at the expense of public services.
It is also sparking confusion and fear among a broad group of stakeholders outside the Beltway — including schools, local governments and medical researchers — who rely on federal funds as a matter of course.
Democrats maintain the freeze is illegal, since Congress already approved the money in question and directed where it should be spent. On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the order until at least next week.
But it’s also not sitting well with some Republicans.
Trump budget nominee tells senators 2020 election was ‘rigged’
Russell Vought, President Trump’s pick to head the White House budget office, has told senators in his confirmation questionnaire that he believes the 2020 presidential election was “rigged.”
Asked by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) in written questions for the record whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Vought responded, “I believe that the 2020 election was rigged.”
A copy of his written answers was obtained by The Hill.
Vought’s assertion that the Biden only won by means of fraud will spark more fireworks over his nomination, which the Senate Budget Committee will consider on Thursday.
Trump administration to offer buyouts to all federal workers ahead of return to office
The Trump administration is offering all 2 million federal employees what amounts to a buyout if they do not intend to return to work in person later this year, sources confirmed to The Hill.
Three sources confirmed to The Hill that the emails are set to go out beginning Tuesday evening to federal employees informing workers that they can retain benefits and be paid through September if they hand in their resignation by Feb. 6.
The emails are expected to come from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), two sources said.
An email to some federal employees reviewed by The Hill didn’t reference the buyouts specifically but said OPM would begin sending out an announcement “starting tonight.”
Johnson: Republicans are ‘right on schedule’ in crafting bill to advance Trump agenda
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Republicans are “right on schedule” in crafting a bill to advance President Trump’s agenda.
Johnson said the GOP retreat in Florida “is part of it.”
He said he aims to have a blueprint for the budget resolution crafted by the time Republicans leave the Sunshine State. It would then be marked up in the Budget Committee, then get sent to the Senate.
That resolution would then go back to lawmakers to craft the details within the bill, and Johnson is aiming to put it on the floor before Easter.
Johnson: Trump using his authority appropriately
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Trump is “using his executive authority in an appropriate manner.”
Trump’s flurry of executive orders have drawn howls from Democrats and some have drawn concern from Republicans as well. But Johnson says Trump “got a mandate from the people.”
Johnson: No concern about Trump’s spending freeze
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he supports Trump’s pause on the disbursement of much federal spending.
Asked by The Hill’s Emily Brooks if he has any concerns, Johnson responded, “I don’t. I fully support it.”
Johnson contended Americans will approve of the pause and that it will be “quick” and “harmless.”
Johnson: No final decision on how to raise debt ceiling
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he hasn’t come to a final decision on how to handle raising the debt ceiling.
Johnson said leaders are “looking at the pros and cons.”
There is a debate over whether the debt ceiling should be raised in the partisan reconciliation process, or through a bipartisan bill such as government funding or wildfire aid.
President Trump has said he doesn’t want to give Democrats any leverage in the process.
Johnson says crafting bill that pleases Trump, Republican conference is possible
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he thinks it’s possible to craft a reconciliation bill that pleases President Trump and wins buy-in from all corners of the fractious GOP conference.
“Yes, I think all this is possible. We’re working out the sequencing of the plays,” he told The Hill’s Emily Brooks.
Johnson said Republicans have been “working on a playbook” for almost a year in an effort to not make the same mistakes as in 2017, when Johnson said the GOP wasn’t prepared for full control of Washington.
The Hill’s Emily Brooks interviews Mike Johnson
The Hill’s Emily Brooks is interviewing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at the GOP policy retreat in Florida.
Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s plan to freeze federal aid
A federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s plan to freeze federal aid minutes before it was set to go into effect late Tuesday afternoon.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan said she was granting a “brief administrative stay” that preserves federal disbursements at least until Monday evening after a group of nonprofit and public health organizations filed a lawsuit.
Ousted IG: Trump firings a ‘a potentially existential threat’ to government oversight
One of 17 government watchdogs ousted by President Trump said the move was a “a potentially existential threat” to a crucial government oversight tool.
“I view it as a potentially existential threat, with respect to the main oversight mechanism that we have in our federal government system,” Mark Greenblatt, the former top watchdog at the Interior Department, told The Hill on Tuesday.
Republican former government officials urge Senate to reject Patel nomination
A group of Republican former government officials is urging senators to reject Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the FBI, saying his confirmation would be “a grievous mistake.”
“Confirming Patel would be a grievous mistake that would endanger the FBI’s integrity and compromise its critical mission,” they wrote in a letter provided to The Hill.
Judge sets afternoon hearing on challenge to funding freeze
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has scheduled a 4 p.m. EST hearing in a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s freeze on federal grants.
Multiple coalitions have announced plans to sue over the freeze, but a case filed by a group of nonprofits and health organizations earlier Tuesday is moving at the fastest pace.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, an appointee of former President Biden who was assigned to the case, hastily scheduled a “video status conference” after the groups asked for an order immediately blocking Trump’s plan, which goes into effect at 5 p.m. EST.
EPA halts funds disbursement under OMB memo
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has halted disbursement of federal aid as part of an order from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to halt loan and grant distribution, officials with the agency confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.
In a memo issued Monday, OMB imposed a deadline of 5 p.m. EST Tuesday to pause all financial assistance spending while it assesses their alignment with President Trump’s policy agenda. OMB acting Director Matthew Vaeth directed all federal agencies to freeze “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance” to the “extent admissible by applicable law.”
5 takeaways from the first Trump White House briefing
President Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first White House briefing Tuesday, fielding questions from reporters for just more than 45 minutes.
The press secretary announced some new changes to the briefings, discussed the wildfires in California, recent deportations, the federal government spending freeze and other topics in answering questions from 20 different reporters from various outlets.
When asked how often she would be doing a briefing, Leavitt replied, “the president, as you know, is incredibly accessible,” noting Trump answered questions in the Oval Office and on his trip last week to the press pool that was with him.
“The president is the best spokesperson this White House has,” she said.
Democrats to sue White House budget office over federal grant freeze
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general announced legal action against the White House budget office Tuesday over its directive to freeze federal assistance while reviewing whether government spending aligns with President Trump’s agenda.
New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said on a press call that the policy is “reckless, dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional.”
“The president does not get to decide which laws to enforce and for whom,” James said.
California, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts — all states with Democratic attorneys general — joined the suit.
States lose access to Medicaid payment portal amid Trump federal aid freeze
State Medicaid programs across the country are reporting they’ve lost access to federal payment portals one day after President Trump announced a freeze on federal grants and aid.
On Monday, acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Matthew Vaeth issued a memo stating agencies must halt “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance” to the “extent admissible by applicable law.”
On Tuesday, state Medicaid programs reported they have been blocked from accessing the portals that provide states with federal funding.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote on X, “My staff has confirmed reports that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following last night’s federal funding freeze. This is a blatant attempt to rip away health insurance from millions of Americans overnight and will get people killed.”
Senate Democrats block GOP’s ICC sanctions bill
Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked Republicans from advancing legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court, arguing the bill had sweeping consequences on allies and American businesses.
Republicans failed to get the 60 votes needed to move the bill forward, with the final tally 54-45. Senate Democrats had sought to negotiate a bipartisan compromise on the bill to shield America’s allies and U.S. companies contracting with the court from getting swept up in sanctions, which are aimed at punishing the ICC’s pursuit of war crimes cases against Israel.
The vote marked one of the first defeats of the GOP agenda in the Senate this session. Democrats last week also blocked a “born alive” abortion bill from passing in the upper chamber.
OPM sued over privacy concerns with new government-wide email system
Two federal employees are suing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to block the agency from creating a new email distribution system — an action that comes as the information will reportedly be directed to a former staffer to Elon Musk now at the agency.
The suit, launched by two anonymous federal employees, ties together two events that have alarmed members of the federal workforce and prompted privacy concerns.
That includes an unusual email from OPM last Thursday reviewed by The Hill that said the agency was testing “a new capability” to reach all federal employees — a departure from staffers typically being contacted directly by their agency’s human resources department.
Also cited in the suit is an anonymous Reddit post Monday from someone purporting to be an OPM employee, saying a new server was installed at their office after a career employee refused to set up a direct line of communication to all federal employees.
Jeffries bashes Trump’s ‘illegal’ spending pause
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to his troops Tuesday in which he hammered Trump’s spending freeze as an “illegal” effort to manipulate “taxpayer funds that have been lawfully appropriated by Congress.”
Jeffries said Wednesday’s caucus discussion will feature the rollout of “a comprehensive three-pronged counteroffensive,” to include “an appropriations strategy, … a litigation strategy, and a communications strategy.”
“All members should also prepare to participate in a Day of Action during this district work period,” Jeffries wrote.
Bipartisan senators demand Trump explanation for IG firings
The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a rare bipartisan letter to President Trump demanding an explanation of his firing of 17 inspectors general in one night.
The rebuke said Trump violated the law by failing to give Congress 30 days’ notice and a rationale for the removal for each of the watchdogs at the 18 agencies where they provided oversight.
“Congress was not provided the legally required 30-day notice and case-specific reasons for removal, as required by law. Accordingly, we request that you provide that information immediately,” Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wrote in the joint letter.
“While IGs aren’t immune from committing acts requiring their removal, and they can be removed by the president, the law must be followed. The communication to Congress must contain more than just broad and vague statements, rather it must include sufficient facts and details to assure Congress and the public that the termination is due to real concerns about the Inspector General’s ability to carry out their mission.”
Democrats to hold ‘emergency’ meeting on Trump’s spending freeze
House Democratic leaders have arranged an “emergency” meeting of the full caucus Wednesday in response to President Trump’s decision to freeze a large chunk of federal spending.
The meeting, which was announced to member offices by email Tuesday morning, will be conducted over Zoom, since the House is currently in recess while Republicans hold their annual issues retreat in Florida.
The virtual gathering, which was first reported by Punchbowl News, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, and only lawmakers — not staff — are invited to participate.
The hastily called meeting hints at the extraordinary nature of Trump’s move to “pause” federal grants, loans and other federal outlays, which was announced Monday by the White House Office of Management and Budget.
White House prepared to fight birthright legal challenges
Leavitt said the Trump White House is prepared to defend the president’s action to end birthright, even if the legal dispute makes it to the Supreme Court.
“We are prepared to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to,” she said.
She said the attorneys general who said ending birthright is unconstitutional “have a right to have that legal opinion, but it is in disagreement with the legal opinion of this administration.”
Tariffs on track for Feb. 1
Leavitt said 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada are still on track to start Feb. 1, echoing remarks from President Trump last week.
She added that Trump is also “very much still considering that” when asked about 10 percent tariffs on imports from China.
“Feb. 1 is still on the books,” she said.
Leavitt calls it a ‘culture shift’ to view all immigrants who came to US illegally as criminals
The press secretary was questioned on how many of those deported immigrants have a criminal record and she replied, “all of them, because they illegally broke our nation’s laws and, therefore, they are criminals.”
She called it “a big culture shift in our nation” to view all immigrants living in the country illegally as criminals. She said it is a “priority” to deport violent criminals but its not off the table to deport anyone who entered the country illegally.
White House to reinstate revoked press passes
At the top of the briefing, Leavitt said the White House would reinstate the press passes of more than 400 journalists “whose passes were wrongly revoked by the previous administration.”
“It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said the White House would open access to a wide swath of media, including online influencers.
Leavitt says federal spending freeze will not impact individuals
Leavitt said the OMB memo that froze federal spending will not impact Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, welfare and other assistance to individuals.
When asked if it will impact Head Start and Meals on Wheels programs, she replied, “it does not affect individual assistance going to Americans.”
She defended the freeze, saying Trump gave notice of it through his executive orders aimed to overhaul the federal workforce last week.
Leavitt vows to tell the truth
Leavitt told The Associated Press she would tell the truth to the public while speaking on Trump’s behalf.
“I commit to telling the truth from this podium every single day. I commit to speaking on behalf of the president of the United States. That is my job,” Leavitt said.
First questions go to Axios, Breitbart
The first questions in the briefing went to new media, which is a departure from The Associated Press getting the first question in a White House briefing.
The first question went to Mike Allen, a reporter at Axios. The second went to Brietbart. The third then went to AP.
Leavitt said “new media” outlets will be sitting to the side of the podium, which was typically where the president’s press team seat.
Leavitt: Trump says NJ drones not the enemy
The press secretary provided an update directly from Trump on the spate of drones that were spotted over parts of New Jersey late last year.
Trump relayed to Leavitt that the drones were “authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and other reasons.” Others were hobbyists flying recreational drones, she said.
“This was not the enemy,” Leavitt said.