OC Leaders Scramble to Figure Out What Federal Funding is Cut Off by Trump Executive Orders

Orange County leaders are trying to fig retired what caller enforcement orders and memos from President Donald Trump calling for a frost connected national backing mean amidst concerns they could suffer backing for a assortment of national programs immediately. 

The bid comes arsenic the region is already facing a imaginable $22 cardinal shortfall according to supervisors and aft a former region supervisor pled guilty to accepting bribes to assistance nonstop implicit $10 cardinal successful pandemic epoch contracts funded by the national government. 

[Read: Orange County Reins successful Public Spending Amidst Possible Budget Shortfall]

The disorder comes from a memo from the president’s Office of Management and Budget connected Monday, calling for an contiguous intermission successful implicit $3 trillion of national backing sent to states and section agencies nationwide. 

“To the grade permissible nether applicable law, Federal agencies indispensable temporarily intermission each activities related to work oregon disbursement of each Federal fiscal assistance, and different applicable bureau activities that whitethorn beryllium implicated by the enforcement orders,” the bid reads, signed by Matthew J. Vaeth, the acting manager of the office. 

Vaeth’s memo went connected to specifically telephone retired backing “including, but not constricted to, fiscal assistance for overseas aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke sex ideology, and the greenish caller deal,” arsenic being connected the chopping block. 

A conjugation of 23 authorities attorneys general, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, person already filed a suit against the national authorities to halt the bid from going into effect. 

“This directive is unprecedented successful scope and would beryllium devastating if implemented,” Bonta said successful a Tuesday statement. “Already, it has created chaos and disorder among our residents.”

Over 1 3rd of the county’s existent fund comes from “intergovernmental revenues,” which includes backing from federal, authorities and section authorities agencies, but determination isn’t a much elaborate breakdown connected which dollars specifically travel from the national government. 

Supervisors unanimously expressed vexation implicit the order, sharing however they were perpetually getting updates with antithetic accusation connected what was oregon wasn’t going to beryllium chopped off. 

“We’re each speculating up here,” said Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento. “I privation to beryllium cautious astir doing immoderate existent clip investigation up present fixed that nary of america person immoderate thought of what the consequences are.” 

County CEO Michelle Aguirre said that portion the region has a nary backfill argumentation connected national and authorities programs that suffer funding, they could look a currency travel contented if they don’t get answers connected what programs volition beryllium paused. 

County of Orange’s Interim County Executive Officer Michelle Aguirre during the Jan. 28, 2025 Orange County Board of Supervisor meeting. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

“We are getting emails that are perpetually coming in,” Aguirre said. “It’s truly a enactment successful progress. Things are fluid.”

Supervisor Don Wagner called for an contiguous reappraisal of each the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs, asking for details connected who was being served and however they’re funded. 

“We cognize the alleged DEI programs person been targeted,” Wagner said, asking if “given this backing uncertainty, we ourselves should enactment a intermission connected these programs.” 

Sarmiento pushed backmost connected Wagner’s connection to people DEI programs, calling the treatment a “ridiculous workout of the clip we should beryllium spending up here.” 

Wagner besides pitched an thought to attack the county’s existing contractors and connection them an hold if they’re consenting to chopped their prices by astir 10-15% , asking unit to look into however that could work. 

“I judge there’s an accidental present to garner immoderate savings for the region done the usage of incentives,” Wagner said. “We could beryllium redeeming up to $100 cardinal oregon $150 million.” 

Sarmiento approved of the thought but said it was important to not effort and renegotiate with existing contractors who could past leave, and Supervisor Doug Chaffee approved of the thought to effort and widen contracts. 

Supervisors besides shifted however they oversee their existing contracts, reorganizing their bureau of procurement to straight study to the region procurement serviceman and CEO to guarantee determination was amended oversight.  

[Read: Are OC Supervisors About to Tighten Up Public Contracts After Bribery Scandal?]

Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who replaced Supervisor Andrew Do connected the dais aft helium pled blameworthy to bribery, praised the displacement that the committee unanimously approved. 

“We’re identifying from this committee and from the CEO’s bureau connected champion practices to forestall immoderate aboriginal corruption oregon aboriginal manipulation of a committee subordinate oregon region staff,” Nguyen said. 

Aguirre praised the displacement arsenic well, saying it’d been successful the works for astir 3 years, and should not negatively interaction region staff. 

“There volition beryllium much things that effect successful greater oversight,” Aguirre said. “But the employees themselves volition enactment put…they’re already located retired of the departments and they’ll enactment successful the section they’re supporting.”

Noah Biesiada is simply a Voice of OC newsman and corps subordinate with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him astatine nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.

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