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ELKINS -- President Donald Trump's federal grants and loans funding freeze would have definitely affected Corridor H construction, a state representative said.
President Trump's budget office on Wednesday afternoon rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.
State Senator Robbie Morris, R-11th District, speaking on Wednesday morning before the funding freeze was rescinded, said the freeze would put many local projects, including construction of Corridor H, "on pause."
"I'm still unclear as to how everything is going to be affected, there's still a lot of answered questions," Morris told The Inter-Mountain Wednesday morning. "I spoke with representatives from the congressional delegation (Tuesday) and they were trying to get answers as well.
"Practically every project at least temporarily, from broadband to highway projects and infrastructure projects, will kind of be on pause until the review is done."
Morris is the chairman of the Corridor H Highway Authority. As the executive director of the Randolph County Development Authority, he has also been heavily involved in finding the funding for the planned $11.6 million Event and Conference Center in downtown Elkins
"I don't know exactly how long the review is going to take or if the court ruling yesterday is going to affect what happens from here," Morris said. "There really hasn't been a lot of details, but I'm staying on top of it."
Morris noted that officials had hoped to have already had a groundbreaking event for the Event and Conference Center construction project, but that the unexpectedly harsh winter weather this month has put those plans on hold.
The Monday evening memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget sparked uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline for states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington and left the White House scrambling to explain what would and wouldn't be subject to a pause in funding.
Staff Writer Edgar Kelley and Executive Editor Brad Johnson contributed to this story.