"This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance and grant programs from the Trump administration," Leavitt said during a briefing Tuesday. "The reason for this is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken."

In a Tuesday press briefing with the governor, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said Democratic-led states will file a lawsuit by end of day.

A directive to freeze federal aid was widely decried by Democrats, but there was little clarity on what it will actually do.