Seattle briefing: federal executive orders, budget reconciliation and grant risks could hit local aid

The Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations told the City Council—s Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Change on May 16 that a wave of federal policy and budget moves could jeopardize grants and programs local residents rely on.

The briefing covered three immediate areas of concern: enforcement-focused executive orders the administration has issued on sanctuary jurisdictions, the ongoing FY2026 appropriations process and a high-risk budget reconciliation package in Congress, and the potential rescission or alteration of federal grant funds that support Seattle programs.

OIR Federal Affairs Director Anne Maher introduced the report and said the office was tracking agency actions and congressional debates closely. "As mentioned my name is Anne Maher and I'm a federal affairs a federal affairs director here at our office of intergovernmental relations," she told the committee. Leslie Polner, a federal lobbyist joining from Washington, D.C., said of the early weeks of the administration: "It has been, a really challenging time here in Washington, particularly with the first hundred days." Polner and OIR staff walked the committee through executive orders, court developments and the potential local effects.

Key federal actions and legal developments described to the committee included: the administration's early executive orders…