On Tuesday, March 4, State Representative Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) introduced his Frozen Federal Funds Emergency Act, alongside Rep. Angelina Cruz (D-Racine) and Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee). Led by a coalition of largely first-term Democratic state legislators, the bill is a proposed stopgap that would require Wisconsin’s state legislature to convene a special session if the U.S. president abuses power and freezes already-approved funds to Wisconsin by executive order.
Speaking at a press conference, Rep. Phelps released the following statement:
“Since late January, agricultural workers, Head Start teachers, parents of young children, school district-, city- and county-level officials, and nonprofit leaders have expressed to our offices immense fear and anxiety for the future. The Trump/Musk Administration’s unlawful, reckless, and cruel actions to try and stop federal funds from hitting Wisconsin communities have a profound impact on nearly every aspect of our communities, and we cannot afford to sit back and do nothing.
“As a first-term legislator who has previously worked in public education and the nonprofit sector, and who was a constituent until only a couple of months ago, I feel the urgency of this moment deeply. It is not lost on me that while we have leapt into action to try and provide what small amount of support for our communities that we can, the Republicans controlling both our state and federal governments have largely said and done nothing.
“That is unacceptable.”
In a statement, True Vue, the executive director of the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, said:
“If funding is not secured, essential agencies like ECAHMMA–lifelines for the Hmong and broader communities–will be forced to shut down, leaving families without critical support and dedicated staff without jobs by October; we urge immediate action to ensure our continued services to those who need it most.”
