ACU Is Here to Assist Our Network
Yesterday, President Trump directed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “temporarily pause all activities related to the obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance, as well as other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by recent executive orders.
Effective at 5 p.m. today, January 28, the pause directed by this memo stands to have immediate and profound funding impacts on our network:
- For Section 330 awardees, immediate issues will arise with drawing down funding from the HHS Payment Management System (both new funding opportunities and existing funding) until the pause ends, which could take weeks, as no end date has been announced.
- The pause affects Community Health Centers, Health Center-Controlled Networks, Primary Care Associations, and National Training and Technical Assistance Partners.
- Additionally, there is a possibility that the Trump Administration could try to impose new future requirements on 330 grant funds.
- The pause has already generated response from Congressmembers and, as of midday, lawsuits from nonprofits and planned lawsuits from states.
OMB officials later clarified that the freeze would not impact services providing “direct benefits to individuals,” such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps.
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is monitoring this rapidly evolving situation, we are engaged in policy response, and, most importantly—we are here to help. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance as you navigate this unprecedented pause. However, even a brief pause in funding could have severe consequences for Americans’ health and the economy.
Call to Action: Let Your Representatives Know How This Pause Is Affecting You and the Communities You Serve
Please share with your members of Congress how this pause in federal funding will affect our healthcare systems financially and ultimately impact the communities we serve. To identify your House Representative, please click below.
More Information
- The OMB Memo and Follow-Up Q&A
- Letter of U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) to OMB Acting Director
- Coverage of the Memo: The Washington Post, CNN, and The New York Times
- Coverage of the Emerging Lawsuits: Forbes, The New York Times
Do you have questions regarding advocacy on this or other matters? Please contact ACU’s Deputy Director of Policy & Advocacy Jordan Marshall.
