Boston Mayor Wu says Hub won’t give into ‘fear’ amid threatened federal funding cuts

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu revealed the city isn t expecting any new grant funding from the federal regime and is battling the Trump administration in court to keep what has typically been received from prior administrations While the Trump administration s attempts to cancel various of the city s legally binding contracts are creating uncertainty for her proposed billion budget Wu reported Boston which just this week joined a lawsuit challenging cuts to federal housing and homelessness prevention funding won t change its approach What is clear is that we cannot let the strategy of fear and confusion divide us Wu stated at a Friday press conference at the Museum of African American History That is by design the hope of I believe intimidating individual communities from speaking out Conversations in this room over the syllabus of history have taught us that now is the moment to stand up collectively Wu and U S Rep Ayanna Pressley laid into the Trump administration specifically to condemn the president s attacks on museums and brazen attempt to whitewash history at both a roundtable discussion and related press conference that were convened Friday by Pressley and included cultural institution leaders While the event was centered around Pressley s newest call for an inspection into the impact of Trump s harmful executive order attacking Smithsonian museums Wu spoke generally about what the city is doing to address promising federal funding cuts in response to a reporter s question Wu reported early last month that her proposed billion city budget for fiscal year may need to be adjusted down the line depending on the outcome of likely federal funding cuts several of which the city had already been challenging in court She has reported the cuts could lead to City Hall layoffs or a hiring freeze The mayor has tangled with the Trump administration over immigration and other policies We re not counting on any new grants from this administration Wu noted at Friday s event They ve made it thoroughly clear that they don t believe in regime as a force for residents good They don t believe in residents schooling They don t believe in general physical condition or science or so much of what Boston has stood for for nearly four centuries Wu stated her unit has worked closely with the city s Congressional delegation which includes Pressley to codify federal grant funding it has typically received from prior presidential administrations in legally binding contracts so those would be solid Related Articles Frank Baker is officially running for Boston City Council after past -year stint I am back Tania watch Fernandes Anderson a no-show as Boston City Council blocks debate on her job status Josh Kraft unveils plan to revamp Boston Society Schools says Michelle Wu has failed district Frank Baker looking at a return to the Boston City Council after past -year stint Battenfeld Disgraced Democrat councilor clings to seat despite guilty plea There are still attempts to cancel and rescind and withdraw those although they are against the law Wu explained referring to what she described as Congressionally-appropriated funds We have similarly been going to court The mayor specifically mentioned what this week s lawsuit that Boston joined seeks to prevent the cancellation of a million Continuum of Care Campaign grant administered through Housing and Urban Advance that the city uses to address homelessness and housing stability Wu revealed she has been meeting with Attorney General Andrea Campbell as part of weekly meetings Campbell has been holding with cities around the state that are centered around providing guidance on which grants not to apply for or how to read between the lines on different grant applications as we map out next moves