STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Two actions this week show the scope of President Trump's bid to reshape the federal government.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The president issued a sweeping order to pause trillions of dollars in payments. Just as that was supposed to go into effect, a federal judge temporarily blocked it, and the administration added another proposal, offering millions of federal employees a chance to quit.
INSKEEP: In a moment, we'll hear from a former top budget official in the George W. Bush administration. First, NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid is here to talk about it all. Asma, good morning.
ASMA KHALID, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: OK, so the memo was going out to workers last night, I heard. What exactly is the federal government offering its employees?
KHALID: The administration says it's giving employees the option to resign, be put on leave, and continue to be paid through September. It's a big move with the goal to shrink the government. The union that represents many federal workers described this effort as a purge of dedicated civil servants, and it does not consider the move voluntary. Under this new Trump administration, people in the federal workforce feel like they are being seen as the enemy in a way that they have never been viewed by prior administrations, Republican or Democrat. And, Steve, you know, being a government worker was once seen as a steady, secure job. But right now, federal workers feel like their jobs are very precarious, and that is, indeed, the intention. Trump wants government workers in line with his vision. He campaigned on remaking federal government. He campaigned on reshaping government as a whole. He telegraphed a lot of his decisions, and now he is following through, just perhaps more swiftly than expected.
INSKEEP: Now, this email to federal workers will - I guess it'll be played out. Maybe it'll go to court. We'll find out what happens in the hours and days to come. But then there's this other memo pausing payments - trillions of dollars' worth of payments, it said yesterday. What exactly was the federal government trying to do with that?
KHALID: It was a memo, Steve, that sparked utter chaos and confusion when it was issued by the Office of Management and Budget. It called for a temporary freeze in federal funds, grants, loans, other forms of assistance. It was a sweeping directive with little clarity. And Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, spent a bulk of the White House press briefing yesterday defending the freeze.
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KAROLINE LEAVITT: And the reason for this is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken.
KHALID: What she's referring to there are programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as climate and just general overspending. But the memo was so broad that it was not clear what programs would be affected. The White House clarified that direct services like Medicaid, Social Security and food stamps would not be impacted, but also did not articulate if financial assistance that comes through nonprofits - you know, think, for example, food banks - whether those might be affected.
INSKEEP: What was the response to all of this?
KHALID: Well, Democrats raised alarm bells and accused Trump of violating the Constitution. Nonprofits expressed concern about cuts to services they provide. Diane Yentel is the CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, which represents a network of some 33,000 nonprofits. She says this freeze could lead to catastrophic consequences.
DIANE YENTEL: We're talking about potentially shutting down shelters for survivors of domestic violence or shelters for people experiencing homelessness.
KHALID: And so she was amongst a group that filed a legal challenge over Trump's move, and just as this directive was about to go into effect at 5 p.m. yesterday, a federal judge intervened.
INSKEEP: The charge being here that Congress, not the president, sets spending. So what's the ruling mean?
KHALID: You know, it just allows sort of a bit of breathing room, at least until Monday. That is when a follow-up hearing is planned with more fulsome arguments on the merits of the case. Steve, I will say the courts seem to be really the arena where the fights around Trump's changes will play out.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
KHALID: You know, for example, you're also seeing legal challenges to the birthright citizenship executive order, as well.
INSKEEP: NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid. Thanks so much.
KHALID: Good to speak with you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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