Gov. Tony Evers has asked President Donald Trump to delay the implementation of a freeze on federal grants and loans in a letter sent on Tuesday, arguing the decision has left Wisconsinites in the dark without additional details.
Trump’s executive order to freeze federal grants left government officials scrambling to understand how the move could impact Wisconsin’s agencies and infrastructure projects.
Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in an email to The Daily Cardinal that Evers asked for more guidance on which programs in Wisconsin would be affected by the executive order in a letter sent to Trump.
"With very few details and specifics available, virtually no time for ample review and consideration, and no direct communication to date, states are left to plan for the worst, and Wisconsinites and millions of Americans who are rightfully alarmed and concerned by this unprecedented decision are left scrambling,” Evers wrote.
Evers plans to join a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to delay implementation of the federal assistance freeze, according to a source with knowledge.
Wisconsin’s state government receives $28 billion in federal assistance, according to the state Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal bureau. Roughly 61% of federal assistance goes to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the bulk of which is then spent on Medicaid programs. The rest is spent largely on services for low-income families, public school programs, the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Following the executive order, Wisconsin officials reported being locked out of the Medicaid portal. Other states have reported similar lockouts.
Evers is set to release his 2025-27 budget request in full on Feb. 18. Depending on how Trump’s directive plays out, the governor’s office may need to rewrite their spending plan to fund areas impacted by the federal funding freeze.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how the executive order could impact public school programs.
A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s sweeping aid freeze until Monday at 5 p.m. in response to a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward, a liberal organization that argued the order violated the First Amendment and federal law. The judge described the move as a “brief administrative stay” to allow the disbursement of any congressionally appropriated funds while litigation plays out.
Editor's Note: This story was updated Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at 2:02 p.m. to include updates about Medicaid portal access and at 2:25 p.m. to include information about a multi-state lawsuit seeking to delay implementation of the federal assistance freeze. This story was updated at 4:50 p.m. to include information about a temporary block on Trump's executive order.
Anna Kleiber is the state news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She previously served as the arts editor. Anna has written in-depth on elections, legislative maps and campus news. She has interned with WisPolitics and Madison Magazine. Follow her on Twitter at @annakleiber03.
