Trump administration claws again $20 billion in local weather funds

U.S. President Donald Trump. File
| Picture Credit score: Reuters

The Trump administration has ended $20 billion in funding for greenhouse gasoline discount tasks in a transfer that local weather advocates and Democrats say illegally seizes cash allotted for clear power and transportation for deprived communities.

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Environmental Safety Company Administrator Lee Zeldin had publicized his marketing campaign to claw again cash from the Greenhouse Gasoline Discount Fund, which Congress appropriated underneath the Biden administration to kick-start tasks geared toward curbing air pollution.

In a press release late on Tuesday (March 11, 2025), the EPA mentioned it had clawed again the funds, saying this system didn’t align with the company’s priorities and citing issues with potential fraud, waste and abuse, though it gave no particulars.

The U.S. Justice Division and the FBI are reviewing this system, it added.

The EPA mentioned it might work to make use of the funds “with enhanced controls” throughout the legislation however didn’t say particularly what it might do with the cash.

“EPA will likely be an distinctive steward of taxpayer {dollars} devoted to our core mission of defending human well being and the setting, not a frivolous spender within the identify of ‘local weather fairness’,” Mr. Zeldin mentioned.

Congress appropriated the $20 billion by way of the 2022 Inflation Discount Act underneath Democratic President Joe Biden. Underneath his successor, Republican Donald Trump, the EPA has sought to freeze funding associated to local weather change and environmental justice amid authorized challenges.

Over the weekend, the Local weather United Fund advocacy group sued the EPA and Citigroup’s Citibank for withholding the funds and breaking what it known as a legally binding contractual settlement as an awardee, saying it and 7 different recipients have been unable to entry the cash.