This page is edited by Charles Konigsberg, former Assistant Director at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Counsel for the Senate Finance, Budget, and Rules Committees. OMB is an office within the Executive Office of the President, with about 500 employees (mostly career), that is the President’s mechanism for managing federal government operations and expenditures, and prepares the President’s budget requests to Congress. See also our pages following DOGE and Federal Workers.
For weekly updates on federal and OMB developments, please sign up today for our weekly column, “Trillions,” at: https://fedbudgetguy.substack.com
Mon, Feb 10, 2025:
Trump allies suggest defying court orders after stinging legal rebukes – WP
Federal judge says Trump administration has been violating court order to disburse grant funding – WP
Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds; WH had said freeze would not affect benefits going to individuals – WP
Thurs, Feb 6, 2025:
Senate confirms Russell Vought to lead White House budget office – WP
Firebrand Vought confirmed as White House budget director; party-line vote – Roll Call
Dems hold Senate floor overnight to protest Trump’s OMB nominee; vote likely Thursday pm – RollCall
Mon, Feb 3, 2025:
EO would establish US sovereign wealth fund – Roll Call (Editor’s note: this is a PR exercise; the US is running massive deficits–there are no excess federal tax or tariff revenues to invest)
Federal Judge in DC extends order blocking Trump funding freeze – AP
Dems want funding freeze blocked in 2025 funding deal – Politico
West VA independent living agency disrupted by OMB funding freeze – Roll Call
Sat, Feb 1, 2025: Musk allies now have access to a sensitive Treasury payment system – WP
Fri, Jan 31, 2025: US District Court John McConnell of Rhode Island granted a temporary restraining order providing that the Administration “shall not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate… awards and obligations to provide federal financial assistance to the States, and… shall not impede the States’ access to such awards and obligations” except as authorized by statute, regulation or terms of the award. US District Court for the District of Rhode Island
- The Court also prohibits the Administration from re-issuing the freeze under another guise or via individual agencies and requires the Administration to provide written notice of the restraining order to all agencies by 9am Monday.
- The Court found that the Administration’s action “unilaterally suspends the payment of federal funds to the States and others simply by choosing to do so, no matter the authorizing or appropriating statute, the regulatory regime, or the terms of the grant itself. The Executive cites no legal authority allowing it to do so; indeed, no federal law would authorize the Executive’s unilateral action here.”
- The Court found that the Administration’s action violates the constitutional separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act, and is contrary to Congress’ intent in funding the various programs.
- Moreover, the Court stated that the Administration’s claim “that the Executive Branch has a duty ‘to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities,’ is a constitutionally flawed statement. The Executive Branch has a duty to align federal spending and action with the will of the people as expressed through congressional appropriations, not through ‘Presidential priorities.’”
- The Court further noted that the Administration failed to follow the notification procedures established by the Impoundment Control Act under which Presidents may temporarily pause funding or seek to rescind funding.
- Finally, the Court quoted Justice Kavanaugh’s 2013 opinion when he was on the DC Circuit that with respect to “the suggestion that the President has a constitutional power to decline to spend appropriated funds, we must conclude that existence of such a broad power is supported by neither reason nor precedent.”
Thurs, Jan 30, 2025: WH rescinded funding memo after GOP senators ‘hit the ceiling’ – The Hill
Wed, Jan 29, 2025:
Judge open to halting Trump freeze on federal grant funds; lawsuit from nearly two dozen states challenges now-rescinded memo – Roll Call
White House rescinds freeze on federal grants – WashPost
“In a memo dated Wednesday and distributed to federal agencies, Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, states that OMB memorandum M-25-13 “is rescinded.’ That order, issued Monday, instructed federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”
OMB rescinded the spending pause – JD Supra
OMB Rescinds Memo Pausing Federal Financial Assistance, But White House Asserts Funding Freeze in Executive Orders Remain Effective – National Law Review
Tues, Jan 28, 2025:
Also on Tuesday, a separate lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, 1/28, by Democratic state attorneys general challenging the spending freeze in federal district court in Rhode Island.
Federal judge delays Trump spending freeze until Feb. 3 – WashPost
Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Freeze of Federal Grant Funds – NYT
Judge temporarily pauses Trump’s freeze on grants, loans – Reuters
OMB issues clarification fact sheet – OMB
Background: Trump’s spending freeze – WashPost
DeLauro, Murray raise alarm on new OMB memoranda, efforts to defy federal law, Constitution to withhold approved federal funding – Ranking Members DeLauro and Murray
Mon, Jan 27, 2025: OMB issued Memorandum M-25-13 re: Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs stating in part: “…Career and political appointees in the Executive Branch have a duty to align Federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through Presidential priorities….This memorandum requires Federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President’s policies and requirements….Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities
that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance
for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new
deal….The temporary pause will become effective on January 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM….Each agency must pause: (i) issuance of new awards; (ii) disbursement of Federal funds under all open awards; and (iii) other relevant agency actions that may be implicated by the executive orders, to the extent permissible by law, until OMB has reviewed and provided guidance to your agency with respect to the information submitted.” See JD Supra for additional background.
Fri, Jan 24, 2025:
Trump suggests eliminating FEMA during N. Carolina visit – CNN
State Dept freezes new funding for nearly all US aid programs worldwide – AP
Deficit hawk Chip Roy and Trump are on a collision course – Politico
Trump’s budget pick, Russ Vought, is starting to upend Washington – WashPost
“Already, Trump has taken steps to implement policies Vought previously supported: Beginning Monday, the president issued orders to freeze some federal funding, block diversity initiatives and make it easier to fire career government employees….Trump and his GOP allies…face rapidly approaching fiscal deadlines: Republicans must act to prevent a government shutdown, with funding set to expire in March, and raise the nation’s debt ceiling to ensure that Washington does not default on its obligations this spring….’The president ran on the notion that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional,’ Vought said, referring to the 1970s law that limits the White House’s ability to withhold funds. ‘I agree with that.'”
Wed, Jan 22, 2025: Trump’s budget pick is famous for defying Congress; GOP senators want to confirm him anyway – Politico
Tues, Jan. 21, 2025: Here are the executive actions and order signed on Day 1 – WashPost
A rundown of Trump’s executive actions, from tariffs to immigration – Bloomberg
Mon, Jan. 20, 2025: 6 takeaways from Trump’s inaugural address – WashPost
Wed, Jan 15, 2025: Russell Vought Poised to Expand Power of WH Budget Office – NYTimes
Sat, Dec 14, 2025: Trump’s executive order strategy: Go ahead, sue me – WashPost
Fri, Nov 22, 2024: Trump picks Project 2025 co-author Vought to lead WH Budget Office – CNN