Colorado leaders react to Trump funding freeze and temporary block

DENVER (KDVR) - There were strong reactions Tuesday after a federal judge temporarily blocked a move by President Donald Trump to freeze federal funding. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan’s order came just minutes before the freeze was to go into effect.

Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, issued a statement saying in part, “These federal investments help people and support good-paying jobs and our economy, and this sloppy action creates confusion that distracts from Americans' real challenges.”

Democratic Congressman Joe Neguse told FOX31 the action by Trump, outlined in what some are calling a vague memo, has lead to confusion and chaos.

"I don’t think the American people want a president of either party, Republican or Democratic president, deciding by executive fiat what programs will be funded and what programs will not,” he said.

Agencies would have until Feb. 10 to provide the White House with a fiscal report.

FOX31 reached out to Congressman Gabe Evans. His office says the freeze wouldn’t affect programs paid directly to individuals like social security or SNAP food benefits, but focus more on foreign aid and non-governmental organizations.

According to Evans’ office, about two-thirds of U.S. adults say inefficiency in the government is a problem and 60% of Americans want to cut red tape and regulations.

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is calling the reaction from Democrats "fear mongering."

Boebert issued a statement saying, "This is a necessary, temporary pause for specific programs listed under executive orders that must be evaluated as part of following through on President Trump’s promise to cut wasteful spending."

Colorado’s Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat who has announced plans to run for governor in the state, immediately filed a lawsuit against the freeze.

"What happened here is what I would call, plainly, unconstitutional. The legislative branch passes laws the executive branch executes the laws. Here we see an effort to rewrite the law,” he told FOX31.

Weiser warned that a federal funding pause would affect health care, university-based research, road construction, public safety and wildfire assistance.

"It is helping to protect against the forest fires we’ve seen in L.A. The federal government is part of our lives,” he said.

U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, released a statement Tuesday before the freeze was temporarily blocked.

"What does this mean for Colorado? Funding to our police departments, our hospitals, programs for homeless veterans. Nearly 9,000 kids in Colorado head start programs may be locked out. Trump is sacrificing working Americans," he said.

Colorado Community Health Network CEO Ross Brooks told FOX31 that confusion over which organizations could be affected by a federal freeze is already causing a pause in funding for his organization, which provides healthcare to nearly a million people in Colorado.

“We don’t know that, right in this moment, that we can draw down our federal grant funding,” Brooks said.

Lawmakers like Congressman Evans will continue to outline the details of President Trump’s plan to freeze spending, something Brooks said is key moving forward

“I’m heartened to hear that Rep. Evans has said that. And, we don’t have that clarification yet that community health centers are not part of the freeze. So I would love that clarification,” Brooks said.

The federal judge’s block on the freeze lasts until Monday, Feb. 3, and only applies to existing programs.