The White House budget office has ordered a pause on all federal grants and loans, according to an internal memorandum sent Monday.

The White House budget office has ordered a pause in grants, loans and other federal financial assistance, according to a memo sent to government agencies on Monday, potentially paralyzing a vast swath of programs and sowing confusion and alarm among the array of groups that depend on them.

The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general announced legal action against the White House budget office Tuesday over its directive to freeze federal assistance while reviewing whether

The Vermont senators and representative gave a joint statement expressing their concern of this "authoritarian" decision to freeze federal grants.

The federal government fell into chaos Tuesday as officials braced for potential interruptions to programs that range from protecting food safety to responding to natural disasters.