“This federal decision could have very serious consequences for our communities and do real harm,” said Ulster County executive Jen Metzger on Tuesday afternoon. “The county administers about $60 million in federally funded projects, programs, and services — everything from emergency preparedness and public safety, to housing, child welfare protection, programs for seniors, public health, public transit, and infrastructure. The memorandum gives no consideration to the impact of this freeze on real people, and I thank attorney general [Letitia] James and the other states planning to file suit against the federal government on the constitutionality of this decision.”
Metzger was reacting to a memorandum from the new acting director of the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28, “federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.” The missive has caused consternation among the many organizations that depend on getting federal funds they had been awarded in a timely way.
“The memorandum contained few concrete details on how the ‘pause’ will affect federally-funded county programs and services, but appears broad in its sweep,” wrote Metzger in what may be the understatement of the day.
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