The federal government is freezing some childcare and food funds to Colorado, the latest salvo in the Trump Administration’s campaign against the Democratic-led state.
An Office of Management and Budget official confirmed that the Administration has frozen funding as of Monday for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant program to Colorado and four other Democratic-led states.
The federal government cited concerns that benefits were fraudulently going to non-citizens, but officials did not point to any specific Colorado examples.
The OMB official said more than $300 million in federal funds to Colorado for child care, food aid and other social services would be frozen. In total, $10 billion in funding for the programs was frozen for Colorado, California, Illinois, Minnesota and New York.
“We don’t really know what the timing is,” said a spokesperson for Clayton Early Learning, a headstart program in Denver. “And that’s not to say it’s not a concern, but it is a question mark. We’re always concerned for our families, but immediately, we’re not.”
A spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis said that the state has not been formally informed of the funding freeze. “These resources support families in need and help them access food and much more. If true, it would be awful to see the federal government targeting the most needy families and children this way.”
Counties around the state also appear to be uninformed about the potential funding changes. “The County has not been contacted by the Trump administration about freezing childcare and food funding,” a spokesperson from Arapahoe County said in a statement.
According to the Colorado Department of Human Services, the state gets about $135.6 million in TANF funding annually and $16.1 million in TANF contingency funds. Last month more than 14,000 Colorado families received services funded by TANF.
“Should these funding sources change, we remain committed to supporting our families in Colorado and will continue to advocate for the programs and services that help them thrive,” said a CDHS spokesperson.
A spokesperson for the state's Department of Early Childhood said they had received no formal notice from the federal government regarding changes to the CCDF funding.
"We are closely monitoring external reports," said communications director Chynna Roberts.
The state's politicians were more aggressive in response, even if the holdup isn't yet official.
In a social media post, Sen. John Hickenlooper wrote the funding freeze is happening at a time of rising costs for Americans. “President Trump thinks this is a game, but these are people’s lives.”
“Donald Trump has declared war on Colorado,” said Sen. Michael Bennet in a statement. “This isn’t controversial funding, this is often times the difference between a filling meal and empty stomachs. This is the latest in a long line of attacks against Colorado because we refuse to bend a knee. I will pursue all options to ensure that this does not happen, and remain ready to work with the Governor and our state elected officials.”
Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette took a slightly different tack - encouraging her Republican colleagues to apply pressure to the president to protect impoverished Americans.
"I urge my Republican colleagues to leverage their relationships with the administration to end this blatantly political attack against the most vulnerable families in Colorado," DeGette said in a statement. "In addition, as a member of the House Litigation Task Force, I am exploring legal action to reverse these unlawful cuts.”
In the past, the state has sued to get federal funding released. That could happen again.
“The Attorney General’s Office will continue to monitor closely the Trump administration’s lawless actions, many of which are targeting Colorado. When we have a basis to challenge these actions in court, the Attorney General is committed to doing so,” said Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesperson for Attorney General Phil Weiser.
The freeze was not tied to any specific event, but seems to be the latest pressure move against the state as the Trump Administration has been pushing Colorado to turn former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters over to federal custody so she can be released from prison. Peters was convicted by a jury of state crimes and sentenced to nine years in prison for her involvement in allowing unauthorized access to her county’s election machines.
Trump issued a pardon to Peters, but it does not apply to state crimes.
In a New Year’s Eve post, Trump wrote that he wished the “Scumbag Governor” and “the disgusting ‘Republican’ (RINO!) DA … only the worst. May they rot in Hell.”
Trump vetoed a bill led by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert that would make it easier for local entities in an area of Colorado that voted for Trump to fund a pipeline to deliver clean drinking water. The House is expected to vote on Thursday to try and override the veto.
Trump also took steps to dismantle a premier climate and weather research center in Boulder, and rejected a request for a FEMA declaration to help people in northwest Colorado recover from wildfires and in southwestern Colorado recover from flooding. (Also, areas that supported Trump.) The Administration has also canceled energy and transportation grants to the state since denying the federal government’s request to turn over or release Peters.
CPR's Jenny Brundin contributed to this report.
