The White House on Wednesday rescinded President Donald Trump’s sweeping federal funding freeze, just one day after a federal judge temporarily blocked the action. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan had issued an administrative stay minutes before the freeze was set to take effect, pausing the action until Monday, as town officials across Marblehead scrambled to assess its potential impact on essential services and programs.
Prior to AliKhan’s intervention, multiple grant applications were immediately affected and uncertainty loomed over essential community services.
The Council on Aging, which provides essential services to Marblehead’s senior population, is keeping a close eye on the situation. Director Lisa Hooper received notification from Congressman Seth Moulton’s office warning that “countless critical programs are now at grave risk.”
Moulton, who represents Marblehead in Congress, released a statement calling the action a “reckless sledgehammer approach” that “squarely falls at the feet of the President, who clearly has no regard for the lives and livelihoods of the Americans who just elected him.”
In a memo to local officials, Moulton’s district aide wrote, “The White House has provided little additional information at this time. As it is written, this broad action stands to impact tens of billions of dollars, if not trillions, in critical federal investments to our local towns and cities, organizations and institutions.”
Over social media, the congressman highlighted specific local concerns, noting the freeze “will have a direct impact on our community — from food pantries to community health centers to flood mitigation and sewage treatment.”
Moulton’s office also detailed specific concerns about veterans’ services, highlighting six critical grant programs now potentially affected: suicide prevention resources including the 988 Lifeline, homeless provider grants, state nursing home care, transportation to VA medical centers, food security initiatives and employment training services for veterans at risk of homelessness.
Local leaders await further guidance while preparing contingency plans. The town’s grant coordinator indicated they would continue preparing applications for upcoming opportunities while monitoring the situation.
“Currently, two of our three pending federal grant applications have already had their links deactivated on Grants.gov,” said Donna Cotterell, Marblehead’s grant coordinator. “While one application with a near deadline remains accessible, we have no idea how long that window of opportunity will stay open.”
When asked to identify the federal grants, Cotterell said, “Unfortunately, I cannot share the name of those grants nor the funding sources at this time. Not all grants under review are submitted for application.”
Interim Superintendent John Robidoux is also following the news closely.
“It is my understanding that federal grants that have already been processed and allocated are all set, but we are awaiting firmer guidance regarding those and information on other grants and how schools may be affected,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent Mike Pfifferling added that MPS receives about $950,000 in federal grant funds for this school year. Federal grants also fund breakfast and lunch programs. “We are not yet aware if those will be affected by the freeze,” he said.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association, representing over 117,000 education professionals statewide, warned the freeze could affect public schools’ ability to serve students regardless of economic status.
“This illegal decision undermines the fundamental promise of public education as a public good, while inflicting further harm on working class families,” said MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy in a joint statement. “Massachusetts nonprofits that depend on federal grants, particularly those working directly with the neediest families, will face significant challenges due to this directive.”
The freeze’s impact extends to local cultural institutions. Lauren McCormack, executive director of the Marblehead Museum, expressed concern about a pending National Endowment for the Humanities grant application for the museum’s first long-term exhibit in its historic Brick Kitchen.
“I honestly do not know how we are going to produce that exhibit without such a grant,” McCormack said. The museum has previously received competitive federal grants from NEH and the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures program, which funded renovation of the Jeremiah Lee Brick Kitchen.
“These are competitive grants, and the funds almost entirely go back into the community by paying consultants, designers, and, in the case of the Brick Kitchen, a myriad of local professionals, craftsmen and contractors,” McCormack said. “We have applied for and received several competitive federal grants over the years that have helped fund various aspects of our programming, exhibits and capital projects — projects that we could not otherwise afford to undertake.”
Legal challenges appeared imminent. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined attorneys general from New York, California, Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island seeking a court order to block the enforcement of what they called “the Trump administration’s unconstitutional pause on federal funding.”
The freeze stems from a memo issued by Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, directing federal agencies to pause activities related to federal financial assistance programs. The administration said the pause is needed to review programs for alignment with presidential priorities.
Federal agencies must submit detailed information about affected programs by Feb. 10, though the memo allows for some exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Programs can continue administrative actions required by law, such as award closeouts.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
