Grijalva Launches New Portal to Track Federal Fund Freeze Effects

U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva’s office announced on Thursday that it is gathering reports concerning the impact of federal funding cuts on organizations and businesses in Southern Arizona. Since President Donald Trump took office, many funding programs for local governments and nonprofit agencies have been put on hold, sometimes only to be reinstated later.

To address these issues, Grijalva’s office has created an online portal for federal contractors and grant recipients within Congressional District 7. This platform allows them to report how the loss of funding has affected their operations.

“The Trump administration’s reckless and illegal pause on federal funding has already wreaked havoc across the nation,” Grijalva stated in a press release about the initiative. He emphasized that the funding freeze has disrupted crucial infrastructure projects, jeopardized important programs, and led to job losses. Despite federal court rulings mandating the release of funds, many organizations remain unable to access their appropriated resources.

Grijalva affirmed his commitment to following up with relevant agencies to ensure the proper distribution of federal funds, as mandated by law. This comes during his final term, announced earlier this year due to his lung cancer treatment. His health struggles have resulted in missed votes, including a crucial budget vote this week.

The House passed Congressional Resolution 14 on Tuesday, which proposes significant cuts to the Medicaid program over the next decade, by a close margin of 217-215. All Democrats opposed the resolution, joined by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. In contrast, Southern Arizona Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani supported it. Grijalva was notably absent from the vote.

His office clarified that his ongoing treatment has hindered his ability to travel to Washington, although he remains opposed to the budget framework that was approved.