Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Democrat lawmakers released a tracker of Congress approved funding that they say has been blocked or frozen by the President Donald Trump administration, totalling more than $400 billion.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., made the tracker to keep a total of funds that have been held by the administration. It's made of a spreadsheet of grants and funding that Congress has already appropriated for distribution.
"As the courts and a key nonpartisan watchdog have repeatedly concluded, this administration's disregard for our nation's spending laws and Congress' power of the purse has touched every corner of our country," Murray and DeLauro said in a statement. "Children in elementary schools have been denied resources they need to succeed, farmers and rural communities have been left to fend for themselves, and communities have been robbed of resources to keep people safe. President Trump and Russ Vought have stripped hope away from cancer patients and single-handedly decided to make the cost-of-living crisis even worse for working families."
The government is also facing a deadline of the end of this month -- the end of the fiscal year -- to prevent a government shutdown.
"We stand ready to fund the government in a bipartisan way -- and to pass funding bills that address the cost-of-living crisis that President Trump is making worse by the day," the press release said. "Any funding agreement must reflect Democratic priorities, and we must pass full-year spending bills that ensure lawmakers -- not Donald Trump and Russ Vought -- decide how taxpayer dollars get spent."
Some of the highlights the press release listed:
K-12 schools across the country to train teachers and improve student outcomes.Critical NIH research into Alzheimer's disease, women's health, cancer, diabetes, and much more -- throwing away research already conducted and setting back lifesaving treatments and cures.Mental health services and substance use treatment.Public safety, including COPS grants, Office of Violence Against Women grants, programs to help victims of crime, and resources to prevent family violence.Farmers and rural communities, cutting off resources that thousands of small agriculture businesses depend on to make a living and grow local food systems and economies.VA hospitals, jeopardizing veterans' safety and care at VA facilities.Critical investments in transportation projects -- for roads and bridges, airports, public transit, ports, and more -- and in energy projects across the country that are creating new, good jobs and lowering families' monthly energy bills.Important improvements to weather forecasting abilities, and preparedness funding and relief for states and communities responding to and recovering from natural disasters.