LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 14, 2025) — Today, Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp.) denounced the Trump administration’s illegal freeze on federal funding, which has thrown communities into crisis in her Senate district and across the state. From health care and education to food assistance and farming, critical programs that millions of Michiganders depend on remain in jeopardy.
“Instead of providing solutions, Republicans in Washington have chosen to manufacture confusion, fear, and chaos at the expense of everyday Americans and the people of Michigan, including many in the district I serve,” said Sen. Shink. “One of the most devastating actions of Donald Trump’s second presidency so far has been this reckless and illegal freeze on funding. The result has been widespread panic and uncertainty for the very people who rely on these services to survive.”
Over 2.6 million Michiganders depend on Medicaid for health care, and thousands of low-income families rely on Head Start for early childhood education. In Sen. Shink’s district alone, Head Start serves more than 1,100 children and employs 255 staff members — all now facing an uncertain future.
Despite two federal court rulings ordering a pause on the funding freeze, organizations dependent on these funds continue to struggle. As recent as Feb. 10, a federal judge has ruled that the White House continues to defy court orders by refusing to release billions in federal funding. Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance asserted that judges aren’t allowed to impede the administration’s actions and has previously suggested that the executive branch could overrule a federal judge’s decision — a dangerous and unconstitutional notion that further erodes our democracy and threatens our system of checks and balances.
Sen. Shink and her Democratic colleagues are calling on the Trump administration and Republicans to end the chaos, stop harming Americans, and start doing the job of building up our nation — not tearing it down.
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