Pennsylvania HR 193: A Resolution urging the President of the United States to unfreeze previously appropriated Federal funds and cease future action freezing Federal funds that the Congress has appropriated.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1412
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 193
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PIELLI, PROBST, FREEMAN, KHAN, VENKAT, HILL-EVANS,
SANCHEZ, GIRAL, MADDEN, WAXMAN, CERRATO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
MALAGARI, D. WILLIAMS, HOHENSTEIN, GREEN, DONAHUE, TAKAC,
CIRESI AND RIVERA, APRIL 17, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
OPERATIONS, APRIL 17, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Urging the President of the United States to unfreeze previously
appropriated Federal funds and cease future action freezing
Federal funds that the Congress has appropriated.
WHEREAS, On January 27, 2025, the Office of Management and
Budget issued a memorandum requiring all Federal agencies to
"complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal
financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects,
and activities that may be implicated by any of the President's
executive orders... [and] pause all activities related to
obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,
and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by
the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial
assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI,
woke gender ideology and the green new deal"; and
WHEREAS, The memorandum was intended to effectuate the
executive orders the President previously issued, including EO
14154, which, among other things, requires all agencies to
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through
the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 or the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act; and
WHEREAS, On January 29, 2025, the Office of Management and
Budget rescinded the memorandum; however, the White House Press
Secretary clarified on X, formerly known as Twitter, that
despite the rescission of the memorandum, the funding freeze was
still in effect; and
WHEREAS, A group of nonprofits challenged the funding freeze,
and on February 3, 2025, a United States District Judge issued a
temporary restraining order on the funding freeze; and
WHEREAS, Twenty-three state attorneys general also sued the
President's Administration regarding the funding freeze, and on
February 10, 2025, another United States District Judge issued a
temporary restraining order; and
WHEREAS, Despite two different judges issuing temporary
restraining orders on the funding freeze, the Administration has
failed to restore all Federal funding; and
WHEREAS, The Governor of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against
the Administration on February 13, 2025, to unfreeze more than
$3 billion of Federal funding allocated to the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, On February 24, 2025, the Governor announced that
the funds that were part of the lawsuit had been unfrozen; and
WHEREAS, However, more than $700 million awarded to the
Commonwealth are still in limbo, which would have been used for
infrastructure work for passenger rail service between
Pittsburgh and Harrisburg and the development of two new
passenger routes, one between Scranton and New York City and
another for service between Philadelphia and Reading; and
WHEREAS, The funds would have also been used to install
20250HR0193PN1412 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

electric vehicle charging stations every 50 miles along
interstate highways and special transportation corridors and
replace the South Bridge on Interstate 83; and
WHEREAS, These funds were not part of the Governor's lawsuit
because they were technically not frozen; however, these funds
remain unspent because of fears that they would be canceled upon
review; and
WHEREAS, The United States District Judges have extended
their orders blocking the funding freeze and have granted
preliminary injunctions; and
WHEREAS, The funding freeze has caused mass confusion,
frustration and uncertainty amongst millions of Americans who
rely on federally funded child care, food assistance and housing
programs and hundreds of nonprofits that depend on government
grants; and
WHEREAS, In 1974, in response to the President regularly
impounding congressionally appropriated funds, the United States
Congress passed the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control
Act which regularized the process of impoundment and does not
allow the President to unilaterally change the budget; and
WHEREAS, The Act provides avenues for the President to
withhold funds: deferrals, which means the delay of using funds
until they are needed, and rescissions, where the President
requests Congress to rescind funding; and
WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has consistently
upheld Congress's power to tax and spend the nation's money;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the President of the United
States to unfreeze previously appropriated Federal funds and
20250HR0193PN1412 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

cease futur