Cities Initiative Leadership Statement on OMB Decision to Rescind Order Freezing All U.S. Federal Funding

Press Release

Chicago, IL – January 30, 2025 – Today, Jon Altenberg, President and CEO of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, released the following statement regarding the Office of Management and Budget’s decision to rescind its previous order freezing all U.S. federal funding:

“The Cities Initiative is pleased that the Trump administration has rescinded the memorandum freezing all U.S. federal funding. However, we understand this situation is ongoing and uncertain. We maintain that any pause in the availability of federal funding would cause costly, unnecessary delays to vital infrastructure projects and job losses in our U.S. member cities, undermining the economic prosperity of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and work with our members to defend congressionally-appropriated grants and loans that keep America strong domestically and abroad by promoting sustainable economic transformation, delivering safe and affordable water to our residents, maintaining healthy lakes and rivers, and making our shorelines more resilient to extreme weather events.”

About the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a multinational coalition of municipal and Indigenous government executives representing communities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region who are working to promote economic prosperity in our communities and protect our fresh water for the benefit of current and future generations. With more than 260 member cities, the Cities Initiative is the largest municipally driven organization in the basin focused on issues impacting their residents.

For more information, please contact:

Christine Maydossian | Leliken Public Affairs| cmaydossian@leliken.com

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