Earthjustice Action Blasts Trump Administration’s Illegal Cancellation of Energy Funding in Democratic States

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Geoffrey Nolan, gnolan@earthjustice.org

WASHINGTON, DC — This week, the Department of Energy announced the cancellation of $7.5 billion in grants to energy projects in Democratic states. White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought previewed the announcement just one day into the government shutdown. In response, Earthjustice Action Legislative Director for Climate and Energy Corey Solow issued the following statement:  

“Before Republicans shut down the government, Democrats warned of the consequences of an out-of-control White House that believes it can ignore the will of Congress. Now, they are capitalizing on the crisis they created with another illegal attempt to eliminate vital government funding programs. It’s a blatant act of retaliation meant to punish the public for not bending to the will of the President, depriving those that live there of low energy costs, good-paying jobs, and decreased capacity to meet load growth demands.  

“It also proves what we’ve known all along: President Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency is nothing more than a political tool to advance fossil fuel development and increase the profits of polluting industries. If we truly had an energy emergency, clean energy should be part of the solution. These illegal actions are exactly what congressional Democrats are fighting, and we need assurances that this administration will follow the law — not political whims.”