Some incredibly troubling moves in past 48hrs; I hope to write later abt the most worrisome at DOJ/FBI, etc. But I don't want to skip a 🧵on the spending freeze/s, where cts are moving fast & public pressure helps. Q I've been getting: If they w/drew the OMB memo, why is so much $$ still frozen? /1 - ThreadSky

debpearlstein.bsky.social • 21 days ago

Some incredibly troubling moves in past 48hrs; I hope to write later abt the most worrisome at DOJ/FBI, etc. But I don't want to skip a 🧵on the spending freeze/s, where cts are moving fast & public pressure helps. Q I've been getting: If they w/drew the OMB memo, why is so much $$ still frozen? /1

Comments

midnightblue46.bsky.social•21 days ago

📌

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

After OMB's sweeping spending freeze memo triggered chaos, WH announced on Wed that the memo had been w/drawn. But w/in hours, WH Press Sec'y tweeted: “The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented.” Not linking to X but help yourself. /2

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

It matters that the EOs remain. Several of them announced the same kind of “pause” as OMB, just targeting areas 1 by 1. See, e.g., this EO (90-day "pause" in U.S. foreign development asst for assessment of...consistency with U.S. foreign policy). /3 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/

martylederman.bsky.social•21 days ago

This TRO enjoins *some* of this nonpayment.

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.58912/gov.uscourts.rid.58912.50.0_2.pdf

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

Yup, as I say lower in thread, different agencies/grantees may be in different positions.

martylederman.bsky.social•21 days ago

Sorry, I think I was responding before you completed the thread!

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

Other EOs required particular agencies to terminate particular contracts, grants, etc., if inconsistent w/POTUS policies on, say, DEI. /4 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

And some agencies seem to be acting like the OMB memo is still in effect for reasons unclear. E.g. EPA emailed grantees the day AFTER the OMB memo was w/drawn describing efforts to comply w/OMB memo, described in this court opinion, p10-11 here: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.58912/gov.uscourts.rid.58912.50.0_2.pdf /5

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

Whatever the source of the WH mandate – memo, EO, agency confusion, etc. – any action amounting to an impoundment of funds already appropriated is unconst'l, a violation of fed law, or both. Lots of details around all this law, but here's one nice explainer. /6 https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/a-primer-on-the-impoundment-control-act

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

Given all this, a fed ct yesterday rejected the Admin’s argmt that the case against it based on the OMB memo was moot & barred Admin from “reissuing, adopting, implementing, or otherwise giving effect to the OMB Directive under any other name or title..." /7 https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.rid.58912/gov.uscourts.rid.58912.50.0_2.pdf

witwarrior.bsky.social•21 days ago

georgweizsaecker.bsky.social•20 days ago

Really good text, extremely helpful

oibeachcomber.bsky.social•21 days ago

Can confirm. I work for a medium size government contractor, and EPA has placed a stop work order on any infrastructure or inflation reduction act work - even if it is already funded (ie it’s not just new funding, but existing funded orders.). And the communication blackout is just insane.

williamfergie.bsky.social•21 days ago

This is the key thing to watch. Will the administration flout the orders of the judges who have issued injunctions against the spending freeze ? If so the constitutional crisis gets much worse !

brooklynkid53bskys.bsky.social•21 days ago

really do not need yet another analysis unless it is mostly about what to do

we already have lots and lots and lots of analyses, but almost no discussion of what to do

debpearlstein.bsky.social•21 days ago

Have you called your member of Congress yet? Have you considered contributing to legal defense funds for federal workers? Have you researched which R members of Congress care most about programs whose funds are implicated and called them? Plenty of places to start.

brooklynkid53bskys.bsky.social•21 days ago

So I take it that the worst is true: there is very little we can do right now

brooklynkid53bskys.bsky.social•21 days ago

yes (multiple times already)
no (I think fed workers have a lot of $ and can defend themselves)
my delegation is all Dem

inside-outside.bsky.social•20 days ago

Thank you for writing about this - everyone affected from local to state government to private consultants to non profits being crippled by this should be screaming from the rooftops. The freeze was never lifted.

aloner.bsky.social•21 days ago

📌

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