Trump sought to pause billions of dollars in federal assistance. Payment systems froze.
Chaos Over Medicaid, Other Funding
The Wall Street Journal reports Judge Blocks Trump’s Federal-Assistance Freeze After Chaos Over Medicaid, Other Funding
A federal judge temporarily blocked a sweeping White House order that sought to pause billions in federal grants, loans and other financial assistance-programs, a memo that created chaos as states struggled to access funding federal-government portals dealing with Medicaid, emergency aid and low-income education and nutrition services.
Minutes before the White House order was set to take effect, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked federal agencies from taking steps to implement it. Ruling from the bench at the end of a hastily arranged court hearing Tuesday, AliKhan said she was issuing a brief stay that would “preserve the status quo” until she can hold an oral argument, which is set for Monday morning.
The administration spent Tuesday trying to contain the fallout from the Monday night memo. The initial directive noted exemptions to Medicare, Social Security benefits and assistance provided directly to individuals—but gave few other clues as to what it covered or didn’t cover. The lack of information prompted government officials, lawmakers, nonprofits and others to parse through the two-page document to agencies—down to the footnotes—to try to understand which programs would be halted.
Confusion was so widespread that OMB sent Capitol Hill staff an explanation Tuesday afternoon seeking to make clear to lawmakers that programs such as Medicaid and the Head Start preschool program would continue without delay, and that pauses for other programs might be as short as a day.
Despite the White House assurances, several states said they had difficulty accessing funding portals from the federal government for Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income Americans, community health centers and other funding.
“Connecticut’s Medicaid payment system has been turned off. Doctors and hospitals cannot get paid,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) wrote on X.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said her state had tried to draw $41 million in Medicaid funds Monday and hadn’t been able to obtain it yet.
A group of 23 state attorneys general, including those in New York and California, said they planned to file a lawsuit later Tuesday seeking to stop enforcement of the funding freeze, which they called unconstitutional.
Aides on Capitol Hill said Republican lawmakers who write the annual spending bills weren’t given a heads-up about the unexpected OMB move.
Early Tuesday, the OMB sent a separate directive reviewed by The Wall Street Journal notifying federal agencies that they were required to fill out an attached spreadsheet answering a series of questions about programs that might require funding and whether they aligned with Trump’s agenda. One question asked if the program supports abortion “in any way.” The information requested information related to programs with funding or activities planned through March 15.
OMB said it might allow the ability to provide exemptions “on a case-by-case basis,” adding to the confusion among states. The temporary pause became effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Dan Jacobson, a former OMB general counsel during the Biden administration, said the lack of clarity from the initial memo might have led agencies to go beyond what was intended.
“I assume that agency officials, because they’re afraid in the current environment of being perceived as running afoul of the president’s directives, will be overly cautious and err on the side of freezing funds if they’re unsure whether it’s covered by the directive,” Jacobson said.
Somehow I get the feeling I will have plenty of things to write about over the next four years.
Live in a sanctuary state, I have to wait a month for an appointment. So AARP has an article ‘where have all the doctors gone’, I received an email from my provider they are working in other areas? Yea working for migrants, I must die!!! I worked 47 years on my social, now I am a nobody! Unbelievable, like Churchill said you can ;most of the people most of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. I cannot receive health care because of the migrants!!! I need an MRI to see if I have an aneurysm? Won’t happen! I have the gold plan, because the migrants are more important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the scary part is he can’t possible due the amount of damage that the Biden Adminstration did to this country the last 4 years so I really dont give a shit if mike or you TDSers get your panties in an uproar
Look out, mid- terms!
And just like that, the drama’s all over – again (just like the tariffs on Colombia when they were already taking planeloads of immigrants back)
So Trump has reversed his memo and funding is back on. But it’s easy for (some) Americans to cheery bullying Colombia; it’s another matter when you cut off their own funding without Congress’ approval or even debate.
Trump may start to irritate even his base if he keeps up with this spaghetti-on-the-wall EO process. Congress is about to meet; why not let them do the dirty work?
I have a feeling we all need to stock up on popcorn!
It’s like a big ship. It can’t stop on a dime. You need to make changes with plenty of notice and detailed instructions.
Well, Mish, I think you are correct. FODDER for thoughts.
The retired folk posting are hoping for their own demise what a confused bunch…..The savior selling shoes bibles shite coins stocks on and on …an another thing he can’t put tariffs on Chinese goods because president musk cars are made in china so forget that part.
The next four years is going to provide you material for the rest of our lives, Mish.
No offense offered, but you wrote two small paragraphs, WSJ wrote the rest.
Famine in gov goodies and resignation letters to 2 millions federal workers (43%
of them are 100% WFH) created chaos. Trump innovations shook out the weak hands compound privileges accumulated since the sixties (LBJ).
Decapitated Trump (2016) is still alive. CA climate change caused fire, famine,
influenza, electricity & water shortages. Technology backwardness will cause a decline in wealth relative to rivals. Gavin asked Trump for help bc CA mess is
out of control. Trump innovation might make CA Reps again.
“…Somehow I get the feeling I will have plenty of things to write about over the next four years…”
Mish, buddy, you ain’t a kidding. Your fingers will have arthritis when this clown show is all said and done with.
Stay practiced at writing “the sky is falling” whenever this President does what he said he would do. “Having difficultly” is not “we couldn’t access funds”. It likely means we wanted grounds to sue.
Musk predicted this reaction. Agendas are about to whither away and will fight to survive. I hope the Argentina model is followed: be swift!
I couldn’t agree more! They use phrases, wording, innuendos, lies, propaganda, misdirection, manipulation, fake stories, and so much more, to defend their stances, deflect from what they themselves are doing, gaslight beyond literal comprehension.
Really they are just a very sad and misguided group of low IQ individuals, that are extremely easy to sway with goodies! Promise them $50.00 for free, if they go tell a bunch of lies, but as convincingly as possible, and you will have a line out the door, as long as those waiting to get into a Trump Event!
The assumption being, of course, that Trump will do “what he said he would do” in a way that respects the Constitution of the United States.
Trump has shown no respect for anyone or anything, well maybe a McDonald’s death burger.
Off topic?
Who’d believe a one of us would agree with pocahontas?
Not the musk rat I assure you.
She had the audacity to show me how doge could make a meaningful expense impact on day one of operations by eliminating all laws, court cases and prison terms relating to cannabis!
Just because I smoked it with Rogan doesn’t mean I think the federal government should NOT be spending unlimited funds against the peddling of it!
We must increase the size and expense of the federal government with departments like doge, stay with me simpleton, before we can decrease the size and cost of the federal government.
The expense of federal funds towards the enforcement of existing laws against cannabis use in America is just fine by me.
Rubes….
Trump removed the entire leadership structure of USAID. Hopefully he’ll do the National Endowment for “Democracy” next.
Hopefully, he’ll reduce or eliminate the money we fund the UN with (the USA is, of course, the largest donor, and cancel the UN lease. Then they can move to someplace like Switzerland or Brussels where they can play EU games.
Yes. Let the Europeons send their entire armies into the Ukraine to get destroyed by Russia in a few weeks.
The EU is lucky that Russia doesn’t want the EU Or Ukraine for that matter. They would already be under Russian Control. If Trump wasn’t coming into office, then it may have already happened, but Russia knows Trump wants Peace!
I do not know Mish if you watched opening statements of Press Conference but First amendment is back.
She said that there were over 400 journalists who had lost their credentials under Biden. They will be reinstated. Guess they were not liked cause didn’t ask the right questions.
Also Bloggers just like you can apply to White House and get credentialed so that you can ask questions directly. Just need the security clearance to get on WH grounds.
Legacy media is withering on the Vine as they will no longer be able to control flow of information. This is why the establishment is in total panic. Going to be a Lot of Sun shining on a lot of Phony narratives.
Goebbels is very unhappy about the situation. Propaganda no longer will reign Supreme.
This new press secretary impressed from the getgo. And only 27 years old! Outstanding for a Gen Z’er, most of whom seem to just wander around with their noses buried in their smartphones, unable to carry on a conversation with anyone else. And she just had a kid. Where did Trump find her?
We knew a Foxnews bleach blonde would be well received .
She is smart, takes no guff, points out there are other subjects pertinent after answering same question four times.
Will be having 400 plus journalists ardently committed to free speech as consequence of Biden repressions.
Truth will prevail and that will make Big changes in Public awareness.
I think the Public is already having their eyes opened up quite a bit, and we’re talking only weeks! More on illegal crimes (bad stuff) will be exposed, and more importantly the hidden crimes (No Government Interference) are now being exposed as well. What the public was told, compared to reality (Ex. Biden’s Decline) Etc…
She’s awesome!
Nicely stated!
I dont know about the White House letting people ask freely. For example, if they start debasing the dollar again with money printing, I bet they wont let people be critical of that. Theyll probably use the same lies as the Federal Reserve like “If we dont print money it will be a crisis, or, we have to do it to create jobs, which is BS, they do it because they overspend so badly that the free market cant buy all the debt without rates going higher than tptb want. But debasing and excessive debt does more harm than good, so I hope they come to their senses and let the system reset itself naturally, which would return the US to a sustainable trajectory.
Get used to unintended consequences
Well said.
He has the mandate. I don’t know exactly what that means legally. I assume nothing but it is mildly entertaining seeing people going into a full vaso panic attack and fearing China despite China having almost no bases globally, no charities or aid to other countries.
China has military bases in the Red Sea as well as in the Philippines. That’s official military bases. If you count all the commercial shipping ports that China controls in Australia, Indian Ocean, Panama Canal Zone etc then Chinas military can operate globally.
As for aid China is big on offering to build bridges, roads, railway lines, buildings etc but they get control when the “generous” loan defaults.
China built a CBD just 3 miles from my apartment with the tallest building in Africa. Egypt keeps borrowing from China and China is getting more and more influence in Egypt, especially in the ports around the Suez Canal.
As for any mandate for Trump, just because 51% of voters elected him doesn’t mean he has a mandate for every policy of his. Many who voted for him might not like his policies but when the alternative is a cackling idiot with crazy policies…
As many bankers can attest, loaning money sometimes creates enemies. A sheriff can repo a car. Only a military can repo a port facility (say in Panama, for example) which is simply war.
(directed at both you an Neal) Trump received just under 50% of votes cast for president, Harris a little less than that.
Out of the entire group of eligible voters, a plurality chose not to vote. The 36% of non-voters was larger than the roughly 32% for Trump and 31% for Harris. Neither of the main candidates could even muster 1/3 of the electorate (not appreciably different from most presidential elections) so, as usual, any talk of a “mandate” is totally incorrect. 68% did not vote for Trump, 69% did not vote for Harris!
I know what youre saying but the people that didnt vote due to apathy or laziness cant complain much. I didnt like either of the Uniparty candidates but I found a third party, in my case Libertarian, or Mish, that were reasonable to me and those people couldve found something close enough to their perspectives.
I am supposed to believe the nut job in charge knows best …sure sure.
What it illustrated is the insane amount of dependence states and institutions have on the federal tit.
This dependence was never supposed to be.
Guess you forgot or are naive about the preamble in the Constitution that specifically mentions promote the general welfare.
Yes, thats what the Federal govt *should* do but I think we will eventually see one day that the govts putting enormous debt on future generations was *not* promoting the general welfare. The officials should be real leaders by being honest with the people that we’re in a very risky state and should start austerity now to reduce the toll that its going to take
White House blames “outage” for locking out Medicaid, Head Start, health centers from funding site
Comedy will have a field day with that
as the dog and pony show continues
consider this: Delinquency Rates for Commercial Properties Increased in Fourth-Quarter 2024https://www.mba.org/news-and-research/newsroom/news/2025/01/28/delinquency-rates-for-commercial-properties-increased-in-fourth-quarter-2024
…and your point? This has been talked about for several years now. The revaluations and collapse of municipal tax sources is going to bring a lot of pain to lower levels of government.
Ya mean all of the Heathcare Heroes from 5 years ago won’t give the Medicaiders a break?
Any deviation from ‘The Deep State’/Beuracracy/Government DEFICIT SPENDING as usual, will be Trumpified talk. Type, Type, Type.
The cost of doing nothing, preserves the trajectory of permanently bankrupting the country for future generations to bear.
We are indeed at the financial crossroads.
Buyer Beware! Democrats nor Republicans can right the Titanic. There will be no deviation in their overspending.
A 1929 event with a fundamental change in the contract between the citizentry and the government is the only solution. Deflation being the BLACK SWAN.
Yes, get your popcorn ready.
This will be brought on by AI’s automation and robots. Many fail to realize how these factors are all deflationary.
Vast numbers of humans are going to be displaced from the workforce in the next 5-15 years. The AI overlord and its minions will provide everything for free to humans. Most humans will be sterilized before puberty to prevent us expanding our dependent populations. Some humans will remain and be allowed to procreate because it will be a long time before the AI’s figure out how the human brain actually works and the AI want to learn this, so they can model themselves after the brain.
Potentially, meat and machine will merge into a cyborg organism.
So, the Orgasmatron from Sleeper?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uZvpIE5g5Fo&pp=ygULb3JnYXNtYXRyb24%3D
I’ve read a lot of SF.
You said it before I could.
New jobs will be created as always. Yet too many are under- and unemployed today due to government subsidies. Spending is our true issue. Trump is trying.
Point of order-
Cyborg = cybernetic organism
cyborg organism is redundant 😉
The liberal Dems are having conniptions on the TV channels today! It’s a beautiful thing to watch. I’m hoping Trump keeps this chaos going and that it results in actual changes to how business is done by both Federal and state governments.
Hope and change comes down hard.
We’ll quickly learn how the Supreme Court splits for and against Trump.
“Somehow I get the feeling I will have plenty of things to write about over the next four years.”
No sh!t! No shortage of material!
I have been looking at Prez Trump’s actions in light of how bad he was worked over with lawfare and fabricated charges in his first term not to mention the two very suss assassination attempts I’d be taking a meat axe to the top leadership in a lot of depts. in his shoes. That being said some of his actions are sketch as h3ll, especially some of the Jan 6th stuff and if he doesn’t replace the fired inspector generals with good peeps .., and more..
Why is anyone shocked? Trump crumbled under Covid and Biden was elected as voters acknowledged Trump’s incompetency and inability to govern. He is a lying, cheating old man who cares for no one but himself. Climate change intensified disasters will continue and likely increase under Trump and his supposed savings will be more than offset by additional FEMA funding and other costs caused by unnatural climate-related disasters.
The insurers are going to come back to California – with Climate Change and Infectious Disease Exclusion Endorsements on their policies.
That is called Water in Hydrants with pressure, to write a policy.
Changes to Building codes which resist Fire spreading.
Not going to be any different then what happened to all East Coast Building codes after those Insurance payouts caused by Hurricane damage.
Things will be forced to upgrade. Which means higher Building costs upfront.
There is a price for stupidity of current elected officials.
Climate change! Lololololol
“Somehow I get the feeling I will have plenty of things to write about over the next four years.”
This is getting boring. We can get plenty of fake news elsewhere.
Boring? I just ordered a case of kirkland popcorn, the show is just getting started! I’ll just sit back, relax and enjoy the self-immolation show.
That’s the spirit, Monkey!
What exactly is fake in Mish’s article?
It’s just fake news… and I suspect Mish has been eating my pets.
LMAO….best comment here….this troll account is fucking hilarious. Well done sir!!!!
Mish you KNEW you were gonna have material for the next four WEEKS forget the next four years. The D students have conquered the government and now the idiots are gonna have to walk back all their proposals when there arent enough air traffic controllers to get all the rich peoples’ planes to LA on time for the big party. Looney Tunes part 1.
I am in sub-poverty myself. Having done without health care for most of my 71 years, this does not scare me. I hope Trump can clean up some of the bloat, corruption, and outright theft that plagues these agencies.
That’s the spirit! We all die sooner or later.
De-peasantize your mind. Far to many Americans identify with thier misery and struggle.
If you want to cut federal spending, then pass legislation something the Republicans seem incapable of. That is the process according to the Constitution. The Congress passes a budget. They have a funding deadline on March 14. Cut away, but have we heard about their plans. NO, because they do not have one. That is the tool to use but instead they hid behind this President to use Executive powers never intended by the founders.
Legislation involves a functional government. We don’t have time for that.
Absotively! Cut “defense” by 50%, prosecute the medical/insurance monopolies, end all tax credits and ban gay marriage.
Sentient are you gay and hate yourself for it? Asking for your boyfriend.
Okay, definitely a misfire but with good intentions. I think what this EO’s trying to accomplish what Trump knows in his heart will likely not happen in Congress – getting a truly reduced spending plan passed. If he’s going to cause some spending hiccups, better to do it early and find his sea legs on this…quickly.
Bill, put a fork in him. It isnt Donald as much as the loons he has around him. Same with Adolph. It wasnt the fuhrer as much as the dangerous true believers around him that did all the damage.
You’re very ungrateful, Scott Craig LeBoo. Maybe I’ll have you deported so you can learn an appreciation for the Golden Age I have brought.
At some point the media and open conversation (including the Internet) will be shut down. They are following the playbook.
2020/21 was a good illustration of open conversation and independent thinking being punished with impunity. You know of the playbook because you’ve seen the plays.
Don’t compare Trump to Hitler. Trump’s good, but he’s. Not that good.
Trump loves to talk so if he really wants to cut spending, he should be promoting the heck out of it, telling his base and the nation, hey, this will be challenging but it will save our freedom and our country, that way a lot of people can start preparing now for lean times and keep supporting austerity through the diffculty and opposition from those who want to start printing (debasing) money again. We will see if he really wants to save.
Various shutdowns and denials of service are just some of the gambits that bloated, corrupt agencies will run to prevent audit and reforms.
We had to get rid of all those inspectors general… they were eating the pets.
The Art Of The Deal….
– A federal judge temporarily blocked a White House order that sought to pause billions in federal grants, loans and other financial assistance-programs, a memo that created chaos as states struggled to access funding federal-government portals dealing with Medicaid, emergency aid and low-income education and nutrition services.
> So a Judge “Temporarily” blocked an order by the Whitehouse? OK, so when it gets re-instated, and any “Shenanigans” that perhaps were planned on being done, can expect to have them overturned, and perhaps penalties if necessary?
– Minutes before the White House order was set to take effect, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked federal agencies from taking steps to implement it.
> Did Loren just do something, that she may regret? I trust that she had her ducks in a row, before pulling the trigger on that order…
– “I assume that agency officials, because they’re afraid in the current environment of being perceived as running afoul of the president’s directives, will be overly cautious and err on the side of freezing funds if they’re unsure whether it’s covered by the directive,” Jacobson said.
> Why not stop assuming things, and if you do so, do you have to wait until the last minute, and cause all this chaos. Do you even know your Job? Your Role? Why so “Confused” then? Did you just realize that you were confused seconds before, or simply waited until then, for added effects?
– This Somehow I get the feeling I will have plenty of things to write about over the next four years.
> You most certainly will Mish, and let’s face it, You will enjoy every single minute of it!!!
This guy will test your will, Stu. I wish you the best.
Does anyone here who is a media watchdog actually think the headlines and rhetoric from political opponents are going to match reality on this story? These are the same dishonest villains who told us to believe Jussie Smollett, and #BelieveAllWomen, and that the Covington Kid was a racist, and that Trump took control of the Beast and overpowered his Secret Service detail, and that the vaccine was “safe and efective,” and that Iraq had WMD, and well, you get the idea……I’m skeptical….
Yup
In 2016, there were a whole lot of people here that spent time making excuses for Trump, looks like that’s going to be a full time job in 2025.
Last time people said the country was on the right track was Feb of 2020. Before Covid. Aka, no excuses needed.
You love polls so check it out. Keeps going this way and dems sweep Congress in two years and the impeachment proceedings can start…..it’s deja vu all over again!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/americans-sour-trumps-early-moves-204428438.html
Overall, the poll showed 45% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance as president, down slightly from 47% in a Jan. 20-21 poll. The share who disapproved was slightly larger at 46%, an increase from 39% in the prior poll.
But the poll shows that many of his early actions have been greeted warmly only by his hardcore base of supporters.
Voters more generally remain deeply concerned about the high price of food, housing and other necessities, the poll found.
Most Americans opposed ending the nation’s longstanding practice of granting citizenship to children born in the U.S. even if neither parent has legal immigration status, the poll found. Some 59% of respondents – including 89% of Democrats and 36% of Republicans – said they opposed ending birthright citizenship.
Nearly 70% of eligible voters didn’t vote for Trump. I’m surprised that the approval is so high.
Feb 2020 wasn’t before Covid, it was just before the (over-)reaction. It didn’t loiter in the autumn and winter then suddenly spread across the globe in a month.
They’ll do it for free, too. They aren’t particularly good at it, but the price is right.
Stay “Skeptical” until things start changing for the better. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that!
Your skepticism will get a workout in 2025.
Oh no. Tds writer throws red meat to the base!
How many people firmly implanted in govt don’t want Trump to succeed. And mish plays right into it rather than exercising an ounce of deep thought as to why a hiccup in one EO might occur on purpose. Just lazy but tds is a disease.
Given the bunch of morons now serving as political appointees, there will be a LOT of hiccups.
Thereby proving government is bad!
Triggered much?
“on purpose”? Do you really think some deep-state bureaucrat caused this much chaos in a day? Or is it more likely a two-page EO instructing agencies all across the US to pause billions immediately in payments for many different grants, loans and programs would cause some issues?
Why not let your Republican Congress take up these expenditure issues? This is not the “Apprentice” show. Let the elected representatives research, debate the issues and craft new legislation.
Somebody needs to double Trump’s Ritalin dosage
We’re already deep into the White House pharmacy… they have even better stuff!
Put a clown in charge and you’ll get clownish outcomes. Sadly, this clown is hurting millions of people. Those that voted for this chaos deserve what they get those that didn’t deserve better. Wait till social security and medicare go offline, that will be a hoot of epic proportions.
– Wait till social security and medicare go offline.
> They we’re both going broke, so offline once in awhile, is quite the step up!
aint gonna happen, but dream on.
the dems did put a clown in charge so now Trump and his team have to clean up old Joes mess, along with all the other desperate actions taken in the leading up to the election
Rest assured, it’s not as bad as democrats want you to think.
The good news is, we dont matter! We get to sit back and watch as the old white boys get exactly what they wanted. And we’re gonna see what happens next. I know how Im betting.
Why do you hate white men? Self hatred is unbecoming and pathetic.
The last CNN poll (yesterday) shows Hispanics and Blacks are a higher % than Whites in voting for these changes. It was a small difference, but that’s saying something! They love what Trump is doing!!
Trump demonstrates that PT Barnum grossly underestimated.
Until we could engage the masses with the internet and collect data, we were completely unaware of the vast reservoirs of stupid that were right there at our fingertips. It will be decades before we reach Peak Stupid, though.