Trump halts more than $300bn in US green infrastructure funding

[In It to Win It]

Financial Times (Archived)

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has put more than $300bn of potential federal infrastructure funding at risk, US investors said, as they grappled with the scale of his move to unpick Joe Biden’s climate agenda.

Within hours of his inauguration on Monday, Trump signed scores of executive orders rescinding Biden’s policies, including one halting federal disbursements to manufacturers and infrastructure developers.

The funds affected were provided under two of Biden’s signature legislative achievements — the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law — and include almost $50bn in Department of Energy loans already agreed and another $280bn worth of loan requests under review, according to Financial Times analysis of the DOE’s loan portfolio.

“All agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated” through the acts, the Trump administration said in an executive order titled “Unleash American Energy”.

Among the disbursements now immediately in peril are a $9bn conditional loan to Michigan-based utility DTE Energy and another of $3.5bn to Oregon-based utility PacifiCorp.

[MadameButterfly]

1. Does this mean thousands of hires

to implement infractructure projects will be halted and Federal tax credits for existing solar projects, etc. will end?
Or is he proclaiming powers he doesn't have and nothing will happen?

[ReRe]

3. I fear that

the answer to both your questions is "yes".
And I fear that in doing so he will bring this country to a halt.
And he's just getting started!

[Jit423]

2. He is halting everything he can to make sure he can give those tax cuts to his buddies.

[MadameButterfly]

4. Does he have the power to oveturn

existing laws by executive order?
Will he do it by just hiring civil servants who won't do their jobs?

Or is all of this not actionable?

[ancianita]

5. That particular executive order will be made null and void by the courts.

Last edited Wed Jan 22, 2025, 09:20 AM - Edit history (1)

They will sustain Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 14th Amendment, because his 'official acts' do not include overturning current Laws. He's already broken his inaugural oath (not on the Bible, so there's no "so help me, God" ) about protecting and defending the laws of the land. He'll withdraw from treaties and promote dictatorship by oligarchy.

[MadameButterfly]

10. Thak you

[bluestarone]

14. I agree. Problem is

How long will the courts sit on their decision? Their track record scares me.

[NYC Liberal]

15. Until it gets to SCOTUS, who will rule that the Impoundment Control Act

is unconstitutional and the president has “discretion” to not disburse allocated funds.

Precedent and even the literal text of laws and the constitution do not mean anything to them.

[ancianita]

22. I see. Well, I also had in mind the E.O. on birthright citizenship, not the OP specifically. Re the 14th Amendment,

SCOTUS will receive an appeal by the felon's DOJ on four appellate rulings FOR the plaintiffs -- 22 attorneys general, ACLU, and 3+ immigration groups, in the First District and the Ninth District court -- that make the E.O. unconstitutional.

I'm betting that SCOTUS, even after overturning precedents, and even CO's supreme court on the 14th, rather than disrespect the judicial integrity of the First and Ninth Circuits, would rule to make null and void a president's literal deletion of a major clause in the 14th Amendment. They would likely dismiss the case to uphold the First and Ninth rulings without hearing the DOJ defense because while SCOTUS has overturned previous SCOTUS ruling based on interpretations of the U.S. Constitution, THIS SCOTUS would never dare nullify the actual US Constitution's words itself. Otherwise it would claim to all three branches of government that it can nullify the whole US Constitution. Which would nullify its own Third Branch right to exist, and the lawmaking powers of the First Branch, leaving the Second Branch, the executive to both invent new Law and "disappear" all rule of law.

[MadameButterfly]

23. You make a good case and i hope you are right

if not for the immunity ruling i'd rest easy.

Basically, if they don't tell Trump he has to go by the constitution and existing laws, they declare a dictatorship.
They sort of did with immunity, but not completely. He can't be prosecuted, but orders to defy laws can be blocked.
Once a dictatorship, SCOTUS is obsolete. i've often wondered what's in it for them.

[LymphocyteLover]

6. In a word, no. But my god he is a miserable horrible evil pice of shit

[bdamomma]

7. He's making

enemies everyday. We need to cancel his new program, The Apprentice Criminal Bully.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

13. That's an understatement.

[Liberal In Texas]

8. This business where he thinks he can overrule the Constitution and laws passed by congress needs to be

pushed back hard. Every illegal EO has to be sued and the plaintiffs need to ask the courts to halt the orders until there are decisions. And this needs to be appealed every time a court finds in his favor. Keep it in legal limbo like he's been doing.

[ancianita]

11. 22 states, the ACLU, and immigrants' rights organizations have already filed in at least the DC and Seattle

federal jurisdictions. This will be the pushback.

[kerouac2]

9. Idk if he has to hire anyone

At least not in a timely manner. He would just put incapable cronies in the positions anyway. Entire departments will essentially be wiped out I would think.

The ramifications on employment in gov and private are going to be brutal. Halting infrastructure spending will be especially quick in harm.

[rickford66]

12. Kids picking coal along the railroad tracks is in our future.

If you're from NEPA, you'll have heard these stories from your grandparents.

[MineralMan]

17. No coal along the tracks any more.

It's just not there.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. This will be litigated under the impoundment act

Link to tweet

[mdbl]

18. That should show up on the "lost jobs" report

He's such a doofus.

[GoreWon2000]

19. Executive branch can''t block already appropriated money

tRump is too ignorant to understand that the legislative branch determines the spending of money. tRump/executive branch can't stop appropriations that've already been made. In addition the SCOTUS ruled against the line item veto in the 1990s.

[uponit7771]

20. *** BIG DEAL*** That was Trump's lifeline to decent economy

[Ruby the Liberal]

21. Untold jobs lost, climate in grave danger - but coal is back baby!

[BoRaGard]

24. Holy shit - the G.O.P. evil is colossal

this will not play well in Peoria