DORAL, Florida — The No. 3 House Republican applauded Donald Trump’s sweeping move to freeze federal aid Tuesday morning, calling it a step to shake up the status quo.
Whip Tom Emmer said in a brief interview on the sidelines of the House GOP retreat that Trump’s move — scheduled to take effect at 5 p.m. — signals he’s “doing exactly what he was elected to do.”
“You’re going to see things like this, and your first reaction is going to be, ‘Well, this isn’t the way it’s been done,'” Emmer said. “You need to understand, he was elected to shake up the status quo.”
Trump’s budget office Monday ordered a total freeze on “all federal financial assistance” that could be targeted under his previous executive orders pausing funding for a wide range of priorities — including domestic infrastructure and energy projects that Republicans in competitive House districts fought for.
Emmer, asked what he would tell his GOP members in competitive districts who are now concerned about the freeze, replied: “Get on the team.”
Those vulnerable Republicans were already in for a day of tough, closed-door talks at the retreat over the trillions in spending cuts their colleagues are pushing for to pay for Trump’s vast agenda.
House Republican Policy Chairman Kevin Hern (R-Okla) said in a separate interview that Trump is making clear that “we’re giving aid to people who respect the relationship, not just blanket giving out American taxpayer dollars.”
“It’s about time right? For you, me and the people receiving the grants,” Hern said. “If you’re going to cut taxes and send money back home, then you also need to stop the spigot in Washington, D.C. You can’t do both.”
