Late on Monday, January 27, 2025, the White House issued instructions requiring “Federal agencies to identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the President’s policies and requirements.” Those instructions meant that federal agencies paused a wide array of activities and disbursements in connection with programs that serve all Georgians not only individuals experiencing poverty.
From Staci Fox, CEO of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute: “As Georgia’s agencies and departments assess what this means for critical programs that our state’s residents count on, the administration’s order has already caused widespread chaos. Real Georgians are impacted by these decisions, and these destructive political moves will have harmful effects on the well-being of individuals, families and communities across Georgia. This is an unlawful overreach that does nothing to reduce the cost burden of everyday life that people across the country have been requesting our leaders to address with real solutions.”
The total amount of federal grants coming into Georgia, or any state, is challenging to pin down. However, a list of federally funded programs that could be impacted has surfaced. What we do know is that $22 billion in federal funds are anticipated by the state as part of the FY 2026 budget, and most of those funds support access to healthcare via Medicaid.