ORLANDO, Fla. – With Congressman Maxwell Frost by their side, representatives of local organizations held a press conference in downtown Orlando Wednesday to celebrate a judge’s ruling to block President Donald Trump’s efforts to pause federal funding, which was followed hours later by the administration rescinding a memorandum from the Office of Budget and Management that had produced more confusion and anxiety about which programs would be impacted by such a freeze.
“We gotta be clear: That confusion was intentional,” Rep. Frost, D-Orlando, claimed Wednesday. “To the administration, it was just another political game, but for the people we serve this is the livelihood.”
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White House officials spent much of Tuesday and Wednesday stressing that the OMB memo did not signify a blanket freeze across the board, and that individual assistance like Medicaid would not be paused.
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Democratic lawmakers and critics of the Trump administration, however, argued the OMB memo was vague and unclear in outlining which programs would be affected.
“We are very relieved that the services will not be abruptly paused at this time,” said Martha Are, CEO of Homeless Services Network of Central Florida.
Are said federal funds make up more than 75% of the organization’s budget.
“Just hours ago, I was in my board meeting with my board in tears,” said Rev. Mary Downey, CEO of Hope Partnership. “I am not in tears now because I do have some relief.”
Rev. Downey said that in the hours between the emergence of the OMB memo and a federal judge’s ruling that paused the freeze, she was anxious about the uncertainty.
“I was staring down the loss of critical funding, the very support that allows organizations like mine, Hope Partnership, and many others in this community to do the work that we are called to do,” Rev. Downey said.
Wednesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that only the OMB memo was being rescinded—not the federal funding freeze laid out in President Trump’s executive orders.
Leavitt’s post was cited by a coalition of state attorneys general that is suing the Trump administration. An attorney from Rhode Island’s AG’s Office entered Leavitt’s post as an exhibit in arguing for a temporary restraining order to halt the freeze.
“There’s no indication, and in fact there’s contrary indication through these public statements that the policy has not changed,” said Sarah Rice. “And that policy to sum it up is freeze first, ask questions later.”
A representative for the Department of Justice argued that the question of a temporary restraining order was moot considering the rescission of the OMB memo.
Federal Judge Jack McConnell indicated he was “inclined” to rule in favor of granting the temporary restraining order, but asked the states to draft a proposed order and then allow the defendants --the Department of Justice—24 hours to respond.
The uncertainty in the courtroom and in the political arena is why Frost and advocates for non-profits say they are remaining “vigilant.”
“This work is sacred, this work is urgent, and this work continues,” Rev. Downey said.
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