Representative John W. Mannion (NY-22) Urges the Office of Management and Budget to Revoke Unlawful Pause on Federal Funding

SYRACUSE, NY – Representative John W. Mannion (NY-22) today sent the following letter to Acting Director Vaeth at the Office of Management and Budget regarding memo M-25-13 which orders all federal agencies to pause funding which could harm public safety, health care, rural communities, schools, child care, and other essential services in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley.

Dear Acting Director Vaeth:

I write to express my extreme concern over the Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs memorandum (M-25-13) released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) yesterday, which takes effect this afternoon at 5pm ET. While reasonable minds may agree that there are areas of overspending across the federal government that should be addressed in a bipartisan manner, choking off resources across every federal program to deny those taxpayer dollars that are being returned to local communities is not a productive path forward. I urge you to act immediately to revoke this unlawful guidance, which denies essential federal support for communities across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley that Congress has acted to appropriate in a bipartisan manner.

M-25-13 specifies that “Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities” and applies to a wide range of agency programs – including those that help support local governments, enable economic development efforts, and ensure the safety and security of our communities. This guidance has resulted in significant confusion across my district and threatens the health and safety of those in NY-22 and across the country. By denying federal support for our local law enforcement and first responder organizations, local farms and rural communities, small businesses, and schools, this guidance will not only cause chaos for grantees, but will negatively impact the health and safety of our communities.

Not only does this guidance threaten our national security, but it also negatively impacts essential programs that support the hiring, training, and retaining of local law enforcement officials and firefighters, provide free and reduced lunches for students, enable workforce development initiatives, and help small businesses thrive and serve our communities. In addition, the red tape created by this memorandum will result in less support for local organizations and taxpayers, as staff is required to instead spend their time gathering and analyzing data to provide OMB with information that already exists. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars forcing administration officials to justify grant programs that exist because Congress created and funded them, OMB should focus its efforts on ensuring grantees – including state and local governments – have the answers and support they need to continue to serve their communities.

My constituents pay their taxes and expect to get their fair share back in the form of safer communities, stronger infrastructure, and robust economic development. They have real concerns and questions over how M-25-13 will impact them, and I share their concerns that this memorandum will result in devastating consequences across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley.

I urge you to immediately revoke this guidance and ensure those laws passed by Congress – including our spending laws – are faithfully implemented.

Sincerely,

John W. Mannion

Member of Congress

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