MADISON, Wis. — Even as courts have stepped in to block Trump’s lawless freeze of federal funding for the critical programs Wisconsinites depend on, chaos has continued to spread. Trump’s ploy to halt all federal funding further demonstrates his apathy for Wisconsin families, children and seniors. 

Millions of Wisconsinites rely on federal resources and programs to put a roof over their head and food into their stomachs. But instead of making sure low-income families receive the support they desperately need, Donald Trump is sowing chaos that has already hurt Wisconsinites. Wisconsin Democrats will continue to fight back against Donald Trump and his enablers’ recklessness to guarantee the safety and comfort of every Wisconsinite.

See below what Wisconsin communities and programs are harmed by Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze:

HeadStart: “300 families that rely on Head Start for childcare in Waukesha and Washington Counties will not have those resources Wednesday or for the foreseeable future. The White House said Head Start would not be affected by the freeze, but it was. Even after a federal judge blocked the freeze, Head Start cannot access their funds. […] The federal judge’s block of the funding freeze had no impact; the damage was already done. Now Waukesha’s Head Start program might miss payroll for the first time in 57 years. That means 65 staffers won’t get paid, health insurance benefits won’t get paid, and the building lease won’t get paid. And 300 families won’t have critical childcare.” 

Medicaid: “Wisconsin’s state government receives $28 billion in federal assistance, 61% of which is routed to the Department of Health Services − mainly for Medicaid programs providing health care for people with lower incomes. That’s according to the state Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal bureau. The rest is spent largely on services for low-income families, programs for public schools, the University of Wisconsin System and the Department of Transportation. Evers is planning to release a two-year state budget plan on Feb. 18. The freeze could force the budget, which needs legislative approval, to be revised.”

WayForward Resources: “Ellen Carlson, the executive director of WayForward Resources, mentions there was no specific guide that she was given. […] Carlson says her organization will do everything they can to keep services going. ‘We really rely on the contracts we sign and the promises that are given for these funding sources.’ WayForward doubles as a food pantry and a housing stability resource. ‘We have 60 some families this year that really are going to rely on those funding sources. We have thousands of people who use the food pantry a year that receive those commodities.’ When the block lifts on Monday, the freeze would affect people using the housing program and the Middleton Cross Plains School District in parts of the west side of Madison. ‘When we don’t receive those funds, there isn’t an easy way for us to go just get money from somewhere else to do those things. Those dollars are really designed to keep our communities afloat.’”

Madison Metropolitan School District: “The Madison Metropolitan School District was expecting to be reimbursed by the federal government for up to $37.6 million in spending this school year, according to district spokesperson Ian Folger. District officials were still trying to assess how much of that money and what programs are potentially affected. […] Even with the legal uncertainty, the issue is likely to loom over the heads of officials in municipal and state government, as well as local school districts and the Universities of Wisconsin, complicating their budgeting efforts and jeopardizing key programs for the foreseeable future.”

Wausau Community Development Programs: “Tammy Stratz, Wausau’s community development manager, said the Trump administration’s pause affects hundreds of thousands of dollars in Community Development Block Grant Funds. ‘Every delay impacts many agencies,’ she said. This pause affects various programs, including the $100,000 designated for general administration and the $50,000 allocated for homeowner rehabilitation loans aimed at assisting low- to moderate-income residents. Other impacted initiatives comprise the $35,000 awarded to Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repairs Program, $75,000 for curb ramp reconstruction to meet ADA standards, and $20,000 for school crossing improvements at Bridge Street and 6th Avenue. Public service projects facing uncertainty include $10,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring center, $15,000 for CASA of Marathon County’s advocate program, $20,000 for Children’s Imaginarium’s Access for All initiative, and $25,000 for Community Partners Campus to support homeless residents. The duration of the funding freeze remains unclear, leaving the future of these local projects in question.”

Boys & Girls Club of Dane County: “For example, the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County gets around $3 million in federal money every year. That money is mostly used for salaries and things like their mentorship program. Leaders say if their after school programs aren’t funded, they see a rise in kids skipping school and crime. ‘Our mentoring program is largely funded by the office of juvenile justice and detention, funds that will need to be suspended, or at least pared down at this point.’” 

Outagamie County Health and Human Services: “‘One of the areas that I’m most concerned about is Health and Human Services and for a couple of reasons. Number one, it’s our largest department. At any given time, we have 30,000 open cases through- across all the divisions. You’re talking about 30,000 people, families in our community that are dependent on support and funding from the federal government.’ Nelson says that’s especially true because for every $1 county taxpayers put toward Health and Human Services, there are $3 coming from the federal and state levels.”

Meals on Wheels: “Jenny Young, vice president of communications and chief of staff at Meals on Wheels America, said the OMB memo ‘could presumably halt service to millions of vulnerable seniors who have no other means of purchasing or preparing meals.’ ‘And the lack of clarity and uncertainty right now is creating chaos for local Meals on Wheels providers not knowing whether they’re going to be reimbursed for meals served today, tomorrow, who knows how long this could go on,’ Young said. ‘Which unfortunately means seniors may panic not knowing where their next meals will come from. This adds insult to injury as these programs are already underfunded to begin with. Largely speaking, local providers don’t have the ability to absorb a blow like this, especially if it persists for any extended period of time.’”