Urge your Members of Congress to protect their constituents.
 

In the initial days of the Trump Administration, there have been a flurry of Executive Orders. Many of these orders directly affect the clients that social workers serve, whether it is related to gender-affirming care, cuts to federally funded programs, or cutting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.

An executive order is a signed, written, and published directive from the President of the United States that manages operations of the federal government (American Bar Association, 2021). To be permissible and have legal effect, an executive order must be rooted in one of the president’s powers as outlined in the Constitution or in a law passed by Congress. The authority of executive orders is not final. Federal courts can be called on to review an orders’ lawfulness and determine whether it is a valid exercise of the president’s power. No president can issue an order that contradicts or violates the Constitution, federal laws or Americans’ fundamental rights (Campaign Legal Center, 2025).

NASW is pushing back on these harmful Executive Orders, and we ask you to join us by contacting your Members of Congress to ask them to do their job and protect their constituents.

When it comes to cutting federally funded programs, it is Congress who appropriates funding for federal programs which support community programs and activities such as Head Start, WIC, and School Meals. The Executive Branch does not have the authority to override Congress’ appropriations authority and Congress has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that the Executive Branch does not overreach.

Cuts to federal funding pushes costs to states and localities. States and local governments cannot make up the losses created by cuts to federal funding.

After the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) put out a memo directing Federal Agencies to put a pause on funding to programs, State Attorneys General sued to block this effort. There was backlash from advocacy groups, state program leaders, and individuals which caused the OMB to rescind the memo. Unfortunately, we understand that this is not the end of the fight to protect these programs.

Please contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to continue their work to support their constituents by funding the federal government and pushing back on unconstitutional efforts by the Administration to take actions they are not authorized to take.