(WBRE/WYOU) — A court has postponed the pause on all federal agencies to temporarily pause funding to different programs by the White House.
In the last hour, the court has pushed back the pause to Monday.
The funding pause was scheduled to go into effect at 5:00 p.m., but late Tuesday afternoon a federal judge pushed back the pause until at least Monday.
Separately, a group of nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit in Washington saying that the funding pause is "devoid of any legal basis or the barest rationale."
However, earlier Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a news conference the pause was temporary and that people who receive direct assistance like Medicare or Social Security would not be impacted.
The memo on the pause was issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB.)
It explains how federal agencies like the US Department of Agriculture or the US Department of Health and Human Services must put a temporary pause on federal funding such to their respective programs across the country.
Agencies must conduct detailed reviews on where their funding is going.
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The White House says this is being done to measure how tax dollars are being spent and to ensure spending does not conflict with Trump's executive orders or actions.
The memo from the OMB states that federal agencies have until February 10 to submit detailed information on any programs, projects, or activities subject to the pause.
Local leaders are concerned about how this could impact area agencies, for example, the Area Agency on Aging.
"One example would be the Victims of Crimes Act Grant that they get from the federal government which essentially provides intervention for those over the age of 60 who are being exploited by people who have endured physical abuse or neglect," said Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan.
"Individual assistance that includes, I'm not naming everything that's included, but just to give you a few examples, Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals, will not be impacted," Leavitt stated.
28/22 News also reached out to Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo who issued the following response:
We are aware of the announcement concerning the pause in federal grant funding. We are actively working with our federal partners to assess the implications and next steps. Our team is committed to understanding how this pause will affect our services, funding streams, and overall operational planning. We recognize the potential concerns this may raise for our stakeholders, and we are carefully reviewing alternatives, if necessary. We will continue to provide updates as we receive more clarity and guidance from federal oversight authorities. Currently, services have not been impacted.
Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo
