A group of 37 Senators is demanding the Department of Energy (DOE) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) restore funding for 223 energy projects that were canceled last year, arguing the move is politically motivated and unlawful.
This month, President Donald Trump’s Administration said these energy grants were canceled because the projects were in states that did not vote for Trump in the 2024 election. The lawmakers, led by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Patty Murray (D-WA), issued a letter to DOE Secretary Chris Wright and OMB Director Russell Vought earlier this week arguing that this is wrongful weaponization of federal funding.
“Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies,” the Senators wrote.
With energy prices skyrocketing and the war in Iran contributing to global energy market uncertainty, the Senators argued this “political retribution” is hurting millions of Americans already struggling with the cost of living.
“The American people deserve to have a government that works for them – not one that is willing to push energy prices even higher and put the country’s energy security at grave risk,” the Senators wrote.
Although the lawmakers are mostly Democrats, the Trump administration’s decision comes as some Republicans have also raised concerns about the president’s continued focus on the 2024 election. With the midterms approaching, lawmakers are increasingly focused on how their parties will address the cost-of-living crisis on the campaign trail.
The Senators underscored that this “threat” of punishing states that do not support Trump paves the way for attacks on jobs, affordable energy and economic competitiveness.
“Once an administration begins punishing Americans for how they vote, the threat extends far beyond these projects: no state, community, business or worker can trust that the federal government will apply the law fairly,” the Senators wrote.
The Senators concluded that the decision must be immediately reversed for the sake of precedent.
“For the good of our country, the rule of law and the American people, we demand that you change course and restore the previously awarded funding,” they wrote.
