On the recordJanuary 29, 2025
I rise today to try to make some sense of it all. Why are we seeing nothing but chaos coming from the White House? Why are people feeling a sense of fear and confusion? Why should Americans be paying attention to any of this? I want to start by saying to the American people: You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed by what is going on right now. Just yesterday, my office received more than 700 calls asking questions about the Trump administration's unconstitutional and brazen decision to take money away from them, to freeze programs that help people in every corner of our State and country. That translates to a call every 2 minutes. I am going to share some of the stories of concern that I received yesterday, but before I do, I want to try to explain what exactly is going on. On Monday, the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget sent a memo ordering Federal Agencies to ``temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursements of all federal financial assistance.'' I know that sounds complicated, so let me put it another way. The Trump administration said that taxpayer money going to help people across the country was stopped. That is money that you have paid through your taxes that goes to do important things. It helps provide meals to seniors. It keeps roofs over people's heads. It helps combat the fentanyl crisis. It helps get veterans healthcare. It keeps childcare programs open and schools funded.…
