The White House rescinded a federal funding freeze Wednesday. This comes after the White House budget office’s directive to pause all federal grants and loans to reassess their alignment with President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, clean energy initiatives and other programs.

Prior to the White House rescinding the order, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan issued the order, delaying implementation until at least Feb. 3, 2025. While the freeze would not have affected social security and medicare benefits, direct assistance programs such as food stamps and welfare or humanitarian food aid, the scope of the freeze was unclear. There was conflicting information about what was and wasn’t included, such as disaster relief.

The move indicates a potential shift toward greater executive control over federal spending. This could reshape budget norms and funding mechanisms.

Read more about the federal funding freeze here.