The White House has ordered a temporary pause on all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government in order for each federal agency to review all federal financial assistance programs to identify if any have been impacted by President Trump’s executive orders. The temporary pause will become effective on January 28, 2025, at 5 PM EST.
No later than February 10, 2025, federal agencies are required to submit to the Office of Management and Budget detailed information on any programs subject to this pause. The White House guidance does note that this pause does not affect assistance programs that provide funds directly to individuals, such as Social Security or Medicare. In the communications space, this pause will notably impact the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program and the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program.
