The acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, Matthew Vaeth, expressed that federal resources aimed at promoting Marxist equity, supporting transgender individuals, and the social engineering policies of the Green New Deal are a waste of taxpayers' money. President Donald Trump's administration has generated panic and confusion by pausing federal funding while conducting a review to eliminate initiatives deemed progressive.
The Trump administration will halt federal support for initiatives that promote what they call 'gender ideology', such as support for transgender individuals, abortion grants in the United States, and gender equity, creating a scenario for constitutional confrontation. Trump immediately froze all federal grants and loans, including those related to rebuilding programs after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The resident commissioner of Puerto Rico in Washington, Pablo José Hernández, of the Popular Democratic Party, stated that the coming years will be difficult and full of challenges following this order. Trump administration officials claimed that stopping the loans and grants was necessary to ensure that spending complies with Trump's executive orders aimed at increasing fossil fuel production and eliminating protections for transgender individuals.
The memorandum to freeze these funds has left legislators and public officials uncertain about which programs will be affected. Although programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps are mentioned as not being affected, uncertainty persists. The measure could impact essential education and health programs that millions of Americans need, as well as Puerto Rico, which relies on these vital federal funds.
The governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, seeks to ensure the continued use of federal funds on the island in the face of the new memorandum from the Trump administration. Puerto Rico has received and expects to receive significant federal funds in various areas and is assessing the scope of the orders to ensure compliance with requirements and proper use of the funds for the benefit of the island's people.