By Matthew Reichbach and Elizabeth McCall
Note: Wednesday morning, the Donald Trump administration rescinded the executive order.
“Chaos.”
“Illegal.”
“Confusion.”
New Mexico’s congressional delegation didn’t mince words when it came to denouncing President Donald Trump’s move to freeze all federal grant funding.
The wide-ranging executive order, which was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Tuesday, caused many New Mexico constituents and organizations to reach out to members of the all-Democratic congressional delegation, asking if the order impacted funding they had been expecting.
In many cases, the delegation themselves did not know, they said during an online press conference Tuesday.
“The day was really utter chaos for people across the state of New Mexico,” U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich said. He said officials from a pueblo contacted his office with concerns about whether their housing program would be able to make payroll without the federal grant funding. The senior U.S. senator from New Mexico said that it was an indication of the wider conservative movement.
“This is Project 2025 in action,” he said.
Project 2025 was a conservative blueprint to fundamentally change the United States, which Trump distanced himself from during the campaign — but then hired or nominated architects of the plan once he was in office.
Heinrich said the executive order was against federal law that has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Shortly before the delegation spoke, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced during a separate press conference that New Mexico will join 22 other states that are trying to halt Trump’s executive order by way of a lawsuit.“I can tell you at this time, New Mexico has joined 22 states and the District of Columbia in filing yet another action against President Donald Trump for this unconstitutional action, which has led to a disruption of critical services to our citizens,” Torrez said.
Torrez said the president “does not have the authority under our Constitution to unilaterally withhold funding for services and programs that Congress has previously appropriated monies to, and it is especially important for the proper functioning of government to have a level of communication and coordination which has been entirely absent.”
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján said he joined with several colleagues on the budget committee in asking for a delay on some nominees for Trump’s cabinet over “because of all the concerns and chaos” after the executive order.
“Even federal courts are having to get in line with urgency within hours of this action being taken by the White House to get ahead of this,” Luján said. “The American people deserve the truth, they deserve the answers and right now all they’re getting is chaos and confusion from the White House.”
Torrez similarly said, “The speed with which we have had a judicial intervention, I think speaks to the carelessness with which the Trump administration has engaged in this type of conduct…but it’s my hope that if he keeps losing in court, he’ll come up with a new approach to how to lead this country and that’s all we can hope for.”
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, who represents New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District, said Trump’s order was “stealing from the American public what Congress has already sent to the American public.”
She echoed statements from other members of the delegation and said the order was illegal, since it sought to stop appropriated funding passed by Congress and signed into law.
“Congress appropriated the money and they do not, the president does not, have the right to take it from you,” Leger Fernandez said.
She also noted that with a large Native American population and large national laboratories, New Mexico would be particularly hit hard by such a funding freeze.
One program multiple members of the delegation spoke about was Head Start, a preschool program, which relies on federal grant funding. The program benefits low-income families.
“This is not about cutting bloated government spending,” Stansbury said. “This is about shutting down fundamental services that especially impact low-income, especially communities of color across the United States.”
In addition to Head Start, Stansbury mentioned programs under the Housing and Urban Development Department.
Leger Fernandez noted that her district has a high percentage of Native American populations that rely on funding from federal programs, including for housing and medical care.
“These are treaty obligations and they are appropriations,” Leger Fernandez said. “They are funding that Congress has said, ‘We should spend on tribes and tribal communities.’ From healthcare to education to law enforcement. What Trump is doing is making us less safe.”
Torrez said that it is unfortunate the federal government is pursuing this freeze order but wants to assure New Mexico residents that the New Mexico Department of Justice “is not going to stand idly by for any unconstitutional power grab by this administration” and will “fight with everything that we have to make sure that this funding is reinstated.”
Tuesday evening, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller also denounced the Trump funding freeze attempt.
“This illegal act would literally destroy our communities, lay off police officers and firefighters, and kick people out of housing,” Keller said. “Like cities all over the country, we will challenge this alongside our partners and fight for the funding that Albuquerque has already been awarded.”
NM delegation is a joke.
It’s NOT an attempt. It is what should be done and, if you care one wit about our country, you know in your heart that is true. If you can read English, you have read that it is a PAUSE. This will give the Trump Administration time to examine the validity of the frivolous throwing out of huge amounts of money to undeserving or deserving recipients, all courtesy of Biden. Could people, for once, stop succumbing to sensationalism and wait for the determination of what really happened?
I wish you had to rescinded it this state needs to be punished for his BS that it does I’m tired of this liberal Democratic crap that goes on here in this state by this governor who even broke the federal law on gun control this time we get rid of her and everybody like her make this country great again get rid of the Democrats liberal people freedom of speech it’s the law and that’s my opinion lawful opinion you hurt the ranchers in the state too enough is enough
I’m so grateful this is finally brought to the Public attention because Michelle lujan grisham is kin to just about all the Spanish people that she has brought over from Mexico. Myself is a Republican have never liked her being the governor and everyone complains about her ongoingly.