Chuck Schumer Pours Cold Water On Trump's Push to Kill Congress-Approved Grants, Payments: 'They Are Not Optional'

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sought to pour cold water on President Donald Trump's push to kill Congress-approved grants following a new executive order.

"Congress approved these investments and they are not optional; they are the law," Schumer said in a statement on Monday night. "It will mean missed payrolls and rent payments and everything in between: chaos for everything from universities to non-profit charities, state disaster assistance, local law enforcement, aid to the elderly, and food for those in need," Schumer added in a publication on X.

His message followed the wide-ranging executive order, which imposes a freeze on all federal grants and loans to outside bodies.

Trump's memo clarifies that Social Security, Medicare and "payments to individuals" are not affected, but everything else could be subjected to revision, according to POLITICO. This includes grants and loans to research bodies, universities, charities, among other institutions.

The Office of Management and Budget ordered all federal agencies to suspend payments, saying the use of "Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve."

Even though Schumer could challenge the legality of the decision, the Washington Post pointed out that Trump could take another approach: Pausing spending and subject it to review. The outlet recalls that Trump believes any laws that restrict the president's power to withhold congressional spending are "unconstitutional" and wants to repeal the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which does exactly that.

"He now wants that law repealed, or struck out by the Supreme Court — which presumably is where this whole row is headed," POLITICO said when analyzing the implications of the decision. The issue is set to continue dominating headlines over the next days as the scope of the measure gets clearer, as well as the programs impacted by the decision, which seeks to cut $3 trillion in spending.