WATERBURY, CT – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) issued the following statement in the wake of a memorandum issued on January 27, 2025, by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directing federal agencies to pause disbursement of Congressionally-approved funding. This pause takes effect at 5:00 p.m. on January 28, 2025; the order does not specify when agencies can resume allocating funding.
Congresswoman Hayes also attended a press conference with Governor Lamont, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, other state and local officials, and members of the Connecticut Congressional delegation to discuss the impact of this order on Connecticut families.
“The order issued last night by the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget is an attempt by President Trump to impound Congressionally approved funding and prevent its use and disbursement. This order is unlawful and will be devastating to the millions of people who rely on federal programs.
In Connecticut, the funding freeze will impact every community in the 41 cities and towns in my district, and will put children, veterans, and seniors across our state at risk. My office is already hearing from organizations in the Fifth District that will be impacted by this order.
In Connecticut, this order will affect everything from environmental protections to transportation funding. Additionally, programs such as LIHEAP, SNAP, and disaster assistance may be affected.
President Trump is violating the law and the Constitution with this order. A monumental change in policy should never happen overnight without concrete guidance. This memorandum has caused widespread confusion and fear.
As funding is paused and legal challenges are filed, I am committed to working to restore impacted programs across the state of Connecticut.”