Sen. Patty Murray was joined by Washington officials on Wednesday, and the Trump administration’s “illegal” federal funding sparked widespread “panic” and “confusion.”
During the video conference, Murray pointed to the impact on dark vert exchanges, upgrades in electricity transmission and distribution, and wildlife conservation and transportation projects across the state.
“The Trump administration is still supporting billions of dollars under Trump’s illegal first-day executive order,” Murray said. “We’re talking about the funds that Congress has passed to the law and the funds that it owes to communities across Washington and across the country.”
“The harm they’re causing in these funding freezes is hard to exaggerate because this has never been done before,” she said.
At least $200 million in federal funds aimed at reaching Washington communities have ordered President Donald Trump to pay for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and reduce energy costs. After that, I was trapped.
The state Department of Commerce and Ecology Department said $53 million to make community and rooftop solar more affordable for Washington families, bringing $53 million to more than $53 million to make community and rooftop solar more affordable, according to the state Department of Commerce and the Ecology Department. More than $156 million has been announced to support it.
“This funding freeze isn’t just about numbers on the page,” ecology director Casey Six Killer said Wednesday morning. “That means that projects that are essential to our state are stagnating.”
The 13 grants remained frozen, he said.
Millions of more may be on balance with federal funds intended for everything from wildfire prevention to disaster response, state officials say.
“If this really turns out to be something, our access to energy and our tribes will be affected. Our community will be affected. Our infrastructure will be affected,” said the Commerce Director. Joe Nuguen said in a call Tuesday. “I’m not trying to do a bit of chicken, but… federal funding is certainly a big part of the way we get things done.”
On his inauguration day, Trump ordered federal agencies to suspend, amend or withdraw efforts, including rolling out “energy and infrastructure provisions” of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Trump administration ordered a freeze on all federal grants last week, before a memo announcing the freeze was pulled back, and federal judges ordered a temporary blockage of efforts and regaining funding flows. A kind of funding freeze is still planned as part of a blitz at Trump’s executive order.
The funds should have flowed. On the ground, it was a different situation.
“Last week’s court order and some agencies said they’d revert the funds, but a lot of people have still called us and say the portal is not open yet. , funds have not flowed yet,” Murray said in response to a reporter’s question. “Even if they were trying to do this the right way or try to put it back on, you can’t just turn off the funds and say, ‘Oh, I’m here now’. ”
some Most direct impacts It was felt by states, local governments and nonprofits that received $7 billion in funding aimed at making rooftop solar more affordable.
Last spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded solar for all funds aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy costs for low-income communities. All solar is funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
EPA I was notified last week Citing President Donald Trump’s executive order to “unleash America’s energy” he said that Climate and Infrastructure Laws were enacted during the Biden administration, and that Climate and Infrastructure Laws were enacted “All Funds” Procurement measures for all winners.
Of that $7 billion, Washington was awarded $156 million to create or expand existing low-income solar programs. Commerce estimates the funds will reach around 5,000 households in Washington.
All Funds Washington Solar is a costless solar facility for income-certified detached homeowners, profitless loans for solar for apartment complexes, and investments in community and tribal solar projects It is intended to support.
Commerce’s plans, filed with the EPA last fall, say it targets 50% utility bill saving goals for all detached house households that the agency is participating in.
Commerce is scheduled to launch its program in 2026, and funds should be fully paid by 2029.
“We look forward to the program moving forward,” Commerce spokesman Penny Thomas said in a statement.
Ecology said the $53 million EPA funding was not accessible as of Wednesday morning. Of this, $35 million was awarded and paid, but is currently unavailable. Another $18 million was awarded, but has not yet been paid, said Andrew Weinke, the agency’s assistant communications director.
Ecology has benefited significantly from the bipartisan infrastructure and inflation reduction laws to a thump of around $180 million, Sixkiller said.
Projects that include protecting salmon streams from Seattle’s toxic chemicals are stagnating, Sixkiller said.
Ecology uses funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act for two stormwater projects designed to capture oil, metals, PCBs and PFA before reaching Thornton Creek and Puget Sound salmon habitats I was planning to do that. Of the $16 million state and federal funds, $4 million in federal funds are now frozen, he said.
Sixkiller is a federal fundraiser for the cleanup of heritage contamination, removing toxic chemicals from public water systems, cleaning up arsenic and lead from former orchard lands, restoring contaminated lands, and more. It said it is pending.
The state Ministry of Natural Resources Identified about $105 A million of federal funds that could be at risk if the executive order’s intentions were realized.
This includes equipment and training for rural fire stations, diluting and burning to reduce the risk of fire, planning community evacuation routes, and efforts to remove debris after they have flowed from the scars of burns. includes money.
It also includes funding some of the agency’s work to identify and address tsunami and landslide risks.
Unlike some other state agencies, the DNR did not lose access to funds as a result of the order, said DNR spokesman Ryan Rodruck.
As a spokesman review It has been reportedTrump withheld funds for a recovery that may have helped Malden and Pine City in Whitman County be rebuilt after a devastating fire towards the end of his first term as president.
“It was a practice of frustration,” Rodrack said, “and it’s been very confused for us and our community partners.”
This story includes reports from the Associated Press. Data journalist Manuel Villa contributed the report.
