Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday sought to tamp down concerns over the late-night order from President Donald Trump’s administration to freeze federal funding but could not provide details on how Chicago’s budget would be impacted.
At a City Hall news conference, the mayor shot down the legal standing of the memo issued Monday evening by the White House’s budget office. But he and his budget director declined to state how much of Chicago’s approximately $4 billion in grant funding could be jeopardized, or whether the memo could eliminate federal funding for the Red Line extension.
“This is something that is well outside the purview of the executive office,” said the mayor, who noted he spoke with Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday morning. “These appropriations have been mandated by the legislative branch. These are laws.”
Johnson’s budget director, Annette Guzman, said her office is conducting analysis on the impact but did not elaborate on the scope, saying “further digging” is needed.
“It all comes under the framework of understanding the legality of the orders to begin with,” Guzman said. “It’s the same kind of concept that we’re looking into, as to whether or not these (executive orders) have the authority over Congressional spending.”
The mayor and his team also sidestepped a question on whether he will appear before Congress in response to an invitation from GOP Rep. James Comer, R-Tenn., to testify in the Oversight Committee on sanctuary city policies.
His corporation counsel, Mary Richardson-Lowry, said “I respectfully disagree” with Comer’s letter but said it was “premature” to comment on his invitation until her office’s legal review was concluded.
