Sen. Angus King, Maine’s independent senator who caucuses with Democrats, called President Donald Trump’s move to freeze federal loans and grants “unconstitutional” in remarks on Tuesday.
The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET, and it’s unclear from the memo how sweeping it will be. The memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that all spending must comply with Trump’s executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts.
“This is a profound constitutional issue. What happened last night is the most direct assault on the authority of Congress, I believe, in the history of the United States. It is blatantly unconstitutional. Article Two does not give the executive the power to determine budgets or expenditures,” King said in a Tuesday press conference on Capitol Hill.
“That power is vested in [Article One] – in the Congress. And if this stands, then Congress may as well adjourn, because the implications of this is the executive can pick and choose which congressional enactments they will execute.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
