North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein says his office is seeking clarity from the Trump Administration on its memo freezing federal grants and loans.
In a statement, Stein says he is “concerned” that the spending pause could impact disaster recovery aid helping people in western North Carolina.
"Like many of you, I am concerned that freezing federal funding will hurt North Carolinians, especially those recovering in WNC," Stein wrote. "My office is currently reviewing and seeking clarity about what OMB’s order to freeze federal grants means for our state. We are also working with federal partners to ensure people in WNC get the support they need."
Later in the day, North Carolina Republican Rep. Tim Moore said he had been assured by the White House that FEMA funding would not be impacted.
"The White House has assured me that disaster relief and direct assistance to families through FEMA will continue uninterrupted," Moore said.
The order sowed confusion across many states and agencies throughout the day over what exactly was covered. For a brief period on Tuesday, the North Carolina Medicaid payment portal went offline amid confusion over whether Medicaid benefits were covered, said a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
NCDHHS also said it was seeking more information from the Trump Administration to better understand how the order will affect North Carolina residents.
"Currently, 79% of NCDHHS' $40 billion budget comes from the federal government and provides for critical services that impact some of the state's most vulnerable people," the department said in a statement to WFAE.
"This includes vital programs that ensure individuals, children and families receive necessary resources so they can thrive in their communities."
North Carolina's newly elected attorney general, Democrat Jeff Jackson, also released a statement Tuesday saying he planned to join other attorneys general fighting the order in court.
"This sudden freeze in federal funding is so sweeping that it could cause widespread and immediate harm across our state — delaying disaster recovery in our western counties, undercutting law enforcement, and affecting children and veterans," Jackson wrote. "It violates constitutional power over federal spending, and I’m taking legal action to stop it."