Title

A MOTION requesting the executive develop a risk assessment related to volatility in federal funding.

Body

                     WHEREAS, local jurisdictions across the country, including King County, face uncertainty around federal funding levels, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing that access to federal funding to "sanctuary jurisdictions" be limited to the maximum extent possible under law, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, President Trump issued through various executive orders a temporary pause on all activities related to the obligation or disbursement of certain federal financial assistance, including research grants, funding for electric vehicles, and some clean energy grants, among others, and

                     WHEREAS, on the evening of January 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan paused the temporary funding freeze, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 29, 2025, the White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded the memorandum, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 29, 2025, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that recission of the memorandum was not a recission of the federal funding freeze, and

                     WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, President Trump's administration announced a deferred resignation program for federal workers, allowing them to receive full pay and benefits until September 2025, at which point they would resign their positions, and

                     WHEREAS, King County and its partners rely on federal funding to support critical investments in human services, healthcare, mobility, community development, homelessness services, and more, including for the most vulnerable residents in King County, and

                     WHEREAS, King County council must be proactive in identifying and mitigating potential risks associated with sudden changes to federal funding commitments;

                     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:

                     A.  The council requests the executive assess the risks to King County and provide a briefing to the committee of the whole related to anticipated volatility in federal funding in the near and long term.  The risk assessment should evaluate:

                       1.  Federally funded grants and programs received or administered by the county;

                       2.  Potential operational and programmatic impacts that could result from a partial or complete loss of the federal grants and programs;

                       3.  Potential ramifications of a diminished federal government workforce due to attrition and the federal deferred resignation program; and

                       4.  A plan for ongoing evaluation and response, as well as communication to the council and partners, related to threats of losing federal funding and steps being taken to mitigate those threats.

                     B.  The executive should provide a briefing to the committee of the whole by February 28, 2025, regarding the risk assessment requested by this motion.