Governor Bob Ferguson response to Trump threat to “withhold all federal funding”
OLYMPIA — Governor Bob Ferguson issued the following statement in response to a social media post by President Donald Trump threatening to “withhold all federal funding” from any state that allows so-called “sanctuary cities”:
“This is exactly the issue I talked about at my press conference nine days ago. We have a $16 billion budget shortfall, and are facing escalating threats from the federal government. Federal dollars make up 28 percent of our state’s budget — $43 billion per biennium. The threats to our federal funding are very real.
“The Keep Washington Working Act is consistent with — and requires compliance with — binding federal law. It allows our state and local jurisdictions to prioritize limited law enforcement resources. We are confident we can defend it in court. However, Donald Trump has shown he does not care about the law.
“My team and I are working closely with the Attorney General’s Office to defend our state from unlawful federal actions. I am not going to allow the federal government to arbitrarily and unlawfully withhold funds that support individuals on Medicaid, our education system, child welfare, emergency relief and so much more.
“This statement from the president underscores the need to engage in serious planning now, while the Legislature is in session, to prepare for ongoing and significant threats to our federal funding.”
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