WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Wednesday rescinded his memo directing a funding freeze on federal grants and loans, according to news reports.
A Monday night memo directing the freeze caused chaos as lawmakers and organizations scrambled to figure out what the freeze would mean for them.
Just before the freeze was set to take effect Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze and Trump narrowed its scope. The White House clarified that the freeze would apply only to programs “implicated” in his previous executive orders and that programs that provide “direct benefits to Americans” like SNAP and Medicaid would continue.
The memo followed a weeklong whirlwind of executive orders attempting to erase Biden-era progressive policies. It is common for modern presidents to sign executive orders shortly after taking office, including orders that reverse policies of previous presidents, but Trump’s sweeping executive orders are testing the limits of his constitutional powers and attempting to “flood the zone” with a flurry of executive actions that are difficult to keep up with.
Among the president’s other executive orders were directives cracking down on illegal immigration; pardoning over 1,600 Jan. 6 rioters; expediting drilling projects; exiting the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreements; and ending federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
A series of orders aim to reduce the size of the government by targeting federal workers. A memo on Tuesday from the Office of Personnel Management warned of future downsizing and offered government workers the chance to resign by Feb. 6 with about eight months’ pay.
Sen. John Hickenlooper’s office released a memo outlining the far-reaching effects of the original funding freeze on Colorado programs. Both Colorado senators took to the social platform X to share their concerns about the freeze. Sen. Michael Bennet wrote that it would “wreak havoc on Colorado police, and fire departments, schools, and hospitals,” and Hickenlooper cited concerns about Colorado families losing access to heating and meals provided through federally funded programs.
The Trump Administration needs to reverse this reckless and shortsighted decision immediately. It will wreak havoc on Colorado police, and fire departments, schools, and hospitals that depend on federal grants.
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) January 28, 2025
If your organization is affected, we want to hear from you. Please… https://t.co/dQ8XDZ4rV6
Trump wants to shut off heat for families in need. In the dead of winter.
— Senator John Hickenlooper (@SenatorHick) January 28, 2025
83,000+ households in CO were able to keep their homes warm last year with the LIHEAP program. His illegal pause would halt that support for families across the state who depend on that program.
25,000+ seniors across Colorado are going to wake up tomorrow not knowing if they’ll be able to eat because of President Trump. https://t.co/37MvzXPOZg
— Senator John Hickenlooper (@SenatorHick) January 28, 2025
The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was a violent assault on our democracy. President Trump’s decision to issue these pardons erodes Americans' faith in the rule of law. https://t.co/eowDBsFLzW
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) January 21, 2025
Colorado lawmakers took different stances on the other executive orders. U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction, said he wasn’t familiar with all of Trump’s executive orders and was hesitant to comment on them. Bennet said he worries about “how much damage (Trump’s) going to do to our democracy” before the president’s actions “catch up with him.” Hickenlooper said he thought the executive orders were a “distraction” from the “real issues.”
All three condemned Trump’s blanket pardon of Jan. 6 rioters who attacked the Capitol. Hurd called the action “deeply disappointing” and “disturbing,” and Hickenlooper said it was “inconceivable” and “beyond egregious.” Bennet wrote on the social platform X that the blanket pardon “erodes Americans’ faith in the rule of law.”
Bennet commented specifically on Trump’s firing of over a dozen inspectors general – nonpartisan officials who are appointed to audit and prevent abuses of power in executive branch agencies – without giving the legally required 30-days notice to Congress, calling the action “a further reflection of his complete disregard for democratic norms and the rule of law.”
Beyond the Jan. 6 pardons, immigration took center stage in the first batch of executive orders.
Trump reinstated his Remain in Mexico policy, requiring asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico while their asylum cases are processed. He also declared a national emergency at the Southern Border, allowing him to send troops and the National Guard to the area.
Hurd said he supports reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy. On Trump’s promised mass deportations, he said he would need to see the specifics of the operation before taking a stance.
“I think certainly right now my focus, my priority is removing dangerous criminals who have violated the law and are a risk and a danger to their communities,” he said. “I think that would be my highest priority, and I expect that's going to be the same for the president as well, but the specifics beyond that, I guess we’ll have to see.”
Immigration has been a top issue for Republicans in Congress. The executive orders follow the passage of the Laken Riley Act in Congress, which requires federal detention of immigrants without legal status who commit crimes of theft. Senate Democrats initially advanced the bill in hopes of adding amendments before it reached a vote, but out of dozens of proposed amendments, only two received a vote. Both Colorado senators shared frustration at the lack of amendment consideration.
Hickenlooper said he wanted to focus on having a bipartisan discussion on immigration. He, along with 12 other Senate Democrats, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune urging Senate Republicans to consider bipartisan legislation for immigration reform.
“There is much work to do to improve border security, protect Dreamers and farmworkers, and fix our immigration system to better reflect the needs of our country and our modern economy,” the senators wrote.
This year, Republicans have the chance to include immigration policies in a budget process that requires only a simple majority vote to pass the House and Senate. With a Republican majority in both, they could essentially cut Democrats out of negotiations.
The senators urged against such a tactic, noting the limitations with including immigration policies in the budget bill, adding that “working together on a bipartisan basis, we can achieve the best outcome for the American people.”
Trump also signed an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship, which is already facing legal challenges for violating the 14th Amendment.
Colorado lawmakers also took note of Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency and calling for deregulated drilling. The order rescinded a slew of Biden administration executive orders aimed at mitigating climate change. Trump restarted consideration of applicants for liquefied natural gas exports, which the Biden administration had stopped based on climate concerns.
“I think making sure that we remove unnecessary regulations is a good thing when it comes to energy, and making sure that we have opportunities to develop these resources that keep power costs low for rural Coloradans,” said Hurd, who sits on the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Hickenlooper, who sits on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said the executive orders are a distraction and trying to oppose all of them would have him “end up flailing at the windmills and not getting things done.” He said he would rather focus on lowering the costs of energy while also lowering emissions.
“I'm not going to go talk about those executive orders because that distracts people from these bigger issues that are, I think, more powerful for America,” he said. “Climate change is real. It's happening faster than in many ways anybody really ever imagined. You can't slow down our response to it.”
Hickenlooper said he wants to make sure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act isn’t interrupted, but Trump had already halted leftover spending from the IRA, which would have cut carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.
Hickenlooper added that the two laws had “created a level of momentum and manufacturing in this country” for cleaner energy sources that he wants to see continue.
Kathryn Squyres is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at ksquyres@durangoherald.com.
