(Editor’s note: A federal judge temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s freeze of all federal grants and loans until a hearing on Monday.)
By McKenna Horsley
Kentucky Lantern
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear raised concerns Tuesday about the legality and effects of President Donald Trump’s freeze on some federal payments, while a spokesman for Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said it’s not unusual for new administrations to review federal grants.
Meanwhile, several Kentucky agencies and entities said they were reviewing the effects of the memo throughout the day.
The extent of the temporary hold on payments was not immediately clear, but the U.S. Office of Management and Budget released information about programs that will be temporarily paused while federal funding is reviewed. The list includes Head Start, the Veterans’ Affairs Department’s suicide prevention and legal services grants and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, or LIHEAP, program.
Later Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding, according to media reports.
In response to the freeze, Beshear issued a statement: “I have concerns about both the legality of the President attempting to stop or freeze laws explicitly passed by Congress, as well as the damage this action will cause to farmers, small-business owners and struggling families who are receiving important job training or health care services to improve the lives of their children.”
Later in the day another memo from the Office of Management and Budget said there would be no pause in “mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP.” The memo, which was cited at a White House briefing, also said there would be no pause in Head Start, Pell Grants, rental assistance or funds for farmers.
A spokesperson for McConnell told the Lantern: “New administrations typically take steps to review federal funding allocated to grant recipients. Senator McConnell will continue to advocate for the economic interests of Kentucky, and ensure that every tax dollar is spent responsibly.”
The Kentucky Democratic Party was highly critical of the move Tuesday. In a statement, Communications Director Jonathan Levin said that “Kentuckians deserve stability and compassion, not this Republican-driven chaos that will inflict pain on our families.”
“This sweeping freeze jeopardizes basic programs that Kentuckians depend on to survive,” Levin said. “Programs like LIHEAP, which keeps families warm during the winter, and SNAP, which helps them put food on their tables, as well as FEMA relief for our communities still recovering from tornadoes and flooding, are all at risk.”
Madison Pergrem, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and Republican Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, said in an email that KDA was “currently reviewing the memorandum to assess its potential impact, if any,” on the department, as of Tuesday afternoon.
Jennifer Ginn, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Education, said in a email that Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher received information from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) that the Trump administration memo “only applies to discretionary grants from USED.” The federal education department plans to review the grants “for alignment with Trump administration priorities.”
Ginn added that the pause does not impact funds received under Title I, the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or other formula grants. It also does not impact Federal Pell Grants and direct loans under Title IV or the Higher Education Act (HEA). USED is working with the Trump administration “to identify other programs that are not covered by the memo.” When asked about funding for national school breakfast and lunch programs, Ginn said KDE “not received any indication that those programs are included in the federal funding pause.”
Kim Dolan, the vice president of government relations, communications and outreach for the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), said in a email that “this freeze has no impact on the state grant and scholarship programs KHEAA administers, nor does it impact borrowers on KHESLC’s (our sister agency’s) Advantage Education Loan.” KHEAA continued to encourage students to complete the 2025-26 FAFSA to determine their eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial aid.
According to federal records, Kentucky received almost $23 billion in federal grants during the last fiscal year. According to progressive think tank the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, Kentucky has $22 billion in grants for 2025.
The center’s director, Jason Bailey, said in a statement that the announcement about the funding pause “has already resulted in chaos, confusion and concern for many Kentuckians.”
“The federal budget includes many funding streams that are critical to Kentuckians’ safety, health and well-being and that drive our economy. And while the exact impact of the order remains uncertain, funding for things like veterans’ services, public safety, and schools is immediately threatened,” Bailey said. “This action promises to make life harder for students, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities while raising questions about the jobs of the thousands of Kentuckians currently working on the federally funded infrastructure and energy projects across the state.”
The Trump administration last week canceled scientific research meetings, raising concerns about funding through the National Institutes of Health for research and clinical trials.
In Kentucky, University of Louisville spokesperson John Karman said in an email that UofL had not been notified of a pause on its federal funding as of Tuesday morning. The university will continue to monitor the situation “to determine its potential impact” and provide more information at a later time when it knows more.
University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said in a campus-wide message last week that UK was monitoring and reviewing Trump’s initial executive orders.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.