City attorneys, finance staff brief committee on federal funding pause; courts have issued injunctions, staff outline grant risks

City Attorney Mike Haas and finance staff briefed the Finance Committee on Monday, March 20, on the status of federal executive orders and directives that have sought to pause federal grants and loans, the litigation responding to those orders, and potential budgetary impacts for the city.

Haas gave a legal update, saying federal courts have issued temporary restraining orders and at least one preliminary injunction that halted parts of the administration's actions. The court in the D.C. case described the freeze as “ill conceived from the beginning” and found a likelihood of success on the claim that the pause was arbitrary and capricious. Haas warned that court orders so far relieve immediate risk but do not guarantee that the administration could not use other legal authorities to restrict funding in the future.

Dave, the finance director, told the committee the city gathered agency data showing roughly $438 million in federal grant awards tied to 2025 activity; of that total, staff identified about $157 million in program funding flowing to roughly 16…