A nonprofit group tied to House Democratic leadership is planning an ad slamming the Trump administration's funding freeze, Axios reports. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), viewing this week's battle over the freeze as a win for Democrats, has been urging his members to press their advantage and keep hammering the topic. The Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing federal grants, loans and other financial assistance, though the White House said parts of the freeze remain in force. The initial memo led to widespread confusion and locked some states out of a federal Medicaid portal. House Majority Forward, an issue advocacy group aligned with Jeffries, is running an ad called "Real Steal" on national cable Monday.
The ad accuses Trump and congressional Republicans of causing "chaos, confusion across the country" and thrreatening cuts to funds for health care, police and fire departments, and pre-K centers. The ad — part of the group's $10 million "economic accountability" campaign — is a clear signal the short-lived OMB memo will play a prominent role in Democrats' political messaging. A senior White House official said, "The American people sent President Trump back to the White House to end the massive waste, fraud and abuse of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars."