President Donald Trump has issued executive orders to halt government spending on many different federal programs that keep Americans safe and protect the environment.
As Inside Climate News reported, this suspension affects progress and safety in emergency management, clean energy, social equity, and other critical areas.
What is federal program assistance?
Taxpayer-funded government programs support people, organizations, and other entities for the greater good of our communities and the environment. Government programs pay for various community benefits, including food, housing, medical costs, disaster relief, and wildlife protection.
Federal statutes passed by Congress authorize this type of program assistance. While it is standard in government for such funding to be debated and analyzed for possible changes, the Trump administration has sought to bypass congressional authority by suspending billions of dollars in grants, loans, and other federal spending.
A federal judge has blocked Trump from canceling funding.
Why is government funding important?
The American system of government relies upon federal grants to provide for citizens' safety, infrastructure needs, education, health care, and social services. These funds tremendously impact the communities we live in and support local economies and our environment.
For example, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics found that the federal government funds about 40% of basic research (based on 2022 data).
Legal experts are concerned that Trump's actions will jeopardize areas his administration may not have considered, such as food assistance programs to early childhood education, safe drinking water initiatives, and disaster recovery — as ICN noted. As extreme weather events continue to increase regardless of politics, frozen federal funds reduce communities' resilience to natural disasters.
"We're also talking about port security grants, terrorism, cybersecurity," Samantha Montano, an emergency management assistant professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, said in the ICN report. "This is full-on national security being put at risk when you take away these grants."
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American society and the natural world may suffer dramatically without the federal funding needed to survive and thrive. Some science, energy, and environmental programs have already had to suspend their work, and scheduled grant review panels have been canceled.
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However, according to Jillian Blanchard, director of climate change and environmental justice at Lawyers for Good Government, "The law is unequivocal: Congress controls federal spending, and no executive action can bypass this authority," per the ICN report.
A federal judge has ruled that President Trump cannot pause funding already awarded over conflicts with new administration priorities. A coalition of states is also taking legal action to block Trump's orders.
As an individual, you can help by contacting your elected representatives and members of Congress and encouraging them to make sure the Constitution and other laws are followed with any particular priorities that are important to you, such as climate impact. Regardless of the side of the political aisle, it's important for pro-climate representatives to protect vulnerable populations and resources, and their compass on these areas is informed by the citizens they represent.
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