Trahan Notes Haverhill Firefighter Grant, Steward Failure in Ripping White House Freeze

A planned freeze of payments toward previously approved federal programs was rescinded Wednesday by the White House Office of Management and Budget after public outcry.

CongreA planned freeze of payments toward previously approved federal programs was rescinded Wednesday by the White House Office of Management and Budget after public outcry.

Congresswoman Lori Trahan, appearing live Wednesday on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program, was one official who criticized what would have been an abrupt halt in food, rent, energy and childcare assistance, among other programs.

“It’s a reckless, unprecedented power grab by Donald Trump. The consequences have already been swift and severe for the most vulnerable families in our country,” Trahan said in a live interview Wednesday morning.

Before the freeze could take effect, Judge Loren L. AliKhan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered a halt until a hearing Monday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the court ruling Wednesday in announcing the White House would end the proposed freeze.

“In light of the injunction, OMB has rescinded the memo to end any confusion on federal policy created by the court ruling and the dishonest media coverage,” said. “The executive orders issued by the president on funding reviews remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented by all agencies and departments. This action should effectively end the court case and allow the government to focus on enforcing the president’s orders on controlling federal spending.”

Trahan, however, told WHAV listeners, the freeze order “revealed the money they’re going to come after.” Pointing to a grant Haverhill received to hire firefighters and staff a Bradford ladder truck, Trahan noted why local officials are concerned.

“They’re, of course, concerned about federal firefighter and police officer hiring programs. They’ve been awarded SAFER grant programs on their merits. They were delivered $4.1 million to hire 16 new firefighters and permanently staff a ladder truck at the Bradford Fire Station. That money is at risk.”

The congresswoman said her office received calls came from new moms who “went into a panic” over how they would afford their groceries, parents worried about facing eviction if they lost rent assistance and state officials who, at first, couldn’t access the Medicaid portal to draw down money for MassHealth. She said similar calls came from community health centers, Head Start programs, child care centers and those relying on home heating assistance, nursing home reimbursements and money for some teacher salaries. Trahan said the amounts represents $20 billion in the Massachusetts state budget alone.

Trahan drew another local parallel—one that threatened the loss of Holy Family Hospitals in Methuen and Haverhill.

“Medicaid is not a program that we can seek cuts to, especially when new consider how fragile the hospital infrastructure is in our state after Steward ripped off patients and left town.”

She added the president does not have authority under the U.S. Constitution to make unilateral cuts of programs approved by Congress. Trahan suggested Trump needs the money to give the additional tax breaks to billionaires.

Trahan plans a press conference Thursday at Greater Lawrence Community Action Council with Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, Methuen Mayor David P. “D.J.” Beauregard Jr., Greater Lawrence Community Action Council Executive Director and CEO Vilma Martinez-Dominguez, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center interim President and CEO Steven Paris and Community Action CEO Kerri Perry.

Support the show