Democrats intensify criticisms while Trump's EPA restrains climate funding
DOGE representatives have recently appeared at various federal agencies, with at least one visiting the EPA.
TroibNews 
On Thursday, Democrats escalated their criticism of the EPA's freeze on funding for several climate programs under the Inflation Reduction Act, labeling the action as an unlawful impoundment of congressionally allocated funds that contradicts a recent court ruling.
Approximately 100 lawmakers and supporters rallied at the EPA’s downtown headquarters to protest actions attributed to the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led "Department of Government Efficiency." They asserted these actions were intended to intimidate agency staff and disregard legal mandates to resume funding for climate and environmental initiatives established under the Biden administration.
“Nobody elected Elon Musk or his teenage hackers who are inside of these buildings stealing our data, trying to fire federal employees, taking down federally funded science,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury declared at the rally. “They have infiltrated our government as unelected, unvetted and unqualified billionaires and their club defying our democracy, breaking the law and trying to scare the hell out of the American people — and we won’t stand for it.”
In recent days, representatives from DOGE have visited multiple federal agencies, including the EPA. Notably, on Thursday, the EPA placed 168 employees on leave who were involved in addressing pollution affecting communities of color, low-income groups, and rural areas.
Democrats raised concerns that agencies had offered scant information regarding the status of various programs amounting to tens of billions of dollars. As of Thursday afternoon, grant recipients, lawmakers, and state officials reported that all IRA funding from the EPA remained frozen, which includes the $7 billion Solar for All initiative and the $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants.
Programs funded through the bipartisan infrastructure law, such as the $5 billion Clean School Bus program, are also still on hold, while some awards from other programs under that law have resumed.
“It’s contrary to court orders, it’s contrary to existing law, it’s contrary to the Impoundment Act of 1974, and it’s contrary to Supreme Court precedent,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich from New Mexico, who is the leading Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“They are hurting lots of people, and that is why we are seeing a turn in sentiment,” he noted.
Yet, the Democrats faced challenges in compelling the EPA to comply with a federal judge’s ruling from Monday that prohibited agencies from enforcing any components of the Trump administration’s spending freeze.
“We’re here so that you will report that we are here, saying that the EPA is in violation of the law if they are freezing programs,” Sen. Ed Markey stated, flanked by Reps. Paul Tonko and Yassamin Ansari, addressing reporters outside the EPA. “And then if you report that, then we believe that, by the millions, people are going to be outraged because they will not want the EPA to be crushed.”
An EPA spokesperson affirmed that the agency was working to resume funding flows.
“Given the funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Democrats’ wasteful Green New Deal more than doubled the annual operating budget of the EPA, these things take time. The agency is working to comply,” EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou explained in a statement.
Democratic lawmakers attempted to enter the building to seek a meeting with DOGE officials and newly appointed Administrator Lee Zeldin, who was in Los Angeles that day addressing the aftermath of significant wildfires.
While EPA did not comment on the presence of DOGE officials at agency headquarters, Stansbury indicated that they were present during the rally.
She added that White House representatives recently informed New Mexico universities of impending funding cuts to research faculty.
“They’re getting random memos from random people that they’re not even sure who they work for,” she mentioned.
In a letter to the EPA on Thursday, four senior Democratic appropriators condemned the ongoing withholding of funds as “flagrantly illegal,” despite some money beginning to flow again.
“Let us be clear — all of EPA’s funding must be made available and disbursed pursuant to the law with no exceptions,” the letter read, signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley and Patty Murray, along with Reps. Chellie Pingree and Rosa DeLauro.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, expressed plans to follow up with the Trump administration regarding the Clean School Bus program’s funding.
“I will find out about the school buses,” Capito stated. GreenPower, a bus manufacturer in her state, has indicated concerns over the potential loss of funding for its orders under the program.
Other Republicans voiced their support for the Trump administration’s continued withholding of funds, framing it as a temporary measure to ensure compliance with legal spending guidelines.
“I’m from a state where people really support what Trump is doing, and even if it affected them personally, I don’t think they are gonna complain,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis.
According to a Democratic spokesperson for the Energy Committee, over $12 billion in funding for Western drought projects authorized through the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law is still on hold, with no response from Interior Department officials on the matter.
Contracts for much of that funding, which includes water conservation initiatives crucial to averting a crisis in the drought-stricken Colorado River basin, have already been signed. Construction on some projects is currently underway.
“These are agreements the federal government made with Arizona cities, tribal communities, and farmers, and they are essential to keeping the Colorado River flowing,” Sen. Mark Kelly remarked. “In the middle of a historic drought, this needs to be reversed immediately.”
The funding freeze also includes an $81 million plan from the IRA aimed at mitigating California’s water disputes, among other infrastructure upgrades across the West that would benefit Central Valley farmers frequently highlighted by President Trump.
Democrats expressed hope that federal courts would act to compel adherence to the law and that rulings would continue to overturn the Trump administration’s actions, though they noted concerns about potential damage to their clean energy and climate efforts in the interim.
“We were in the middle of a legit manufacturing and clean energy boom and Donald Trump is pulling the plug, so it’s going to take awhile for it to backfire. But it’s going to backfire spectacularly at the economic and political level,” predicted Sen. Brian Schatz.
James Bikales contributed to this report.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Approximately 100 lawmakers and supporters rallied at the EPA’s downtown headquarters to protest actions attributed to the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led "Department of Government Efficiency." They asserted these actions were intended to intimidate agency staff and disregard legal mandates to resume funding for climate and environmental initiatives established under the Biden administration.
“Nobody elected Elon Musk or his teenage hackers who are inside of these buildings stealing our data, trying to fire federal employees, taking down federally funded science,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury declared at the rally. “They have infiltrated our government as unelected, unvetted and unqualified billionaires and their club defying our democracy, breaking the law and trying to scare the hell out of the American people — and we won’t stand for it.”
In recent days, representatives from DOGE have visited multiple federal agencies, including the EPA. Notably, on Thursday, the EPA placed 168 employees on leave who were involved in addressing pollution affecting communities of color, low-income groups, and rural areas.
Democrats raised concerns that agencies had offered scant information regarding the status of various programs amounting to tens of billions of dollars. As of Thursday afternoon, grant recipients, lawmakers, and state officials reported that all IRA funding from the EPA remained frozen, which includes the $7 billion Solar for All initiative and the $5 billion climate pollution reduction grants.
Programs funded through the bipartisan infrastructure law, such as the $5 billion Clean School Bus program, are also still on hold, while some awards from other programs under that law have resumed.
“It’s contrary to court orders, it’s contrary to existing law, it’s contrary to the Impoundment Act of 1974, and it’s contrary to Supreme Court precedent,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich from New Mexico, who is the leading Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“They are hurting lots of people, and that is why we are seeing a turn in sentiment,” he noted.
Yet, the Democrats faced challenges in compelling the EPA to comply with a federal judge’s ruling from Monday that prohibited agencies from enforcing any components of the Trump administration’s spending freeze.
“We’re here so that you will report that we are here, saying that the EPA is in violation of the law if they are freezing programs,” Sen. Ed Markey stated, flanked by Reps. Paul Tonko and Yassamin Ansari, addressing reporters outside the EPA. “And then if you report that, then we believe that, by the millions, people are going to be outraged because they will not want the EPA to be crushed.”
An EPA spokesperson affirmed that the agency was working to resume funding flows.
“Given the funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Democrats’ wasteful Green New Deal more than doubled the annual operating budget of the EPA, these things take time. The agency is working to comply,” EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou explained in a statement.
Democratic lawmakers attempted to enter the building to seek a meeting with DOGE officials and newly appointed Administrator Lee Zeldin, who was in Los Angeles that day addressing the aftermath of significant wildfires.
While EPA did not comment on the presence of DOGE officials at agency headquarters, Stansbury indicated that they were present during the rally.
She added that White House representatives recently informed New Mexico universities of impending funding cuts to research faculty.
“They’re getting random memos from random people that they’re not even sure who they work for,” she mentioned.
In a letter to the EPA on Thursday, four senior Democratic appropriators condemned the ongoing withholding of funds as “flagrantly illegal,” despite some money beginning to flow again.
“Let us be clear — all of EPA’s funding must be made available and disbursed pursuant to the law with no exceptions,” the letter read, signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley and Patty Murray, along with Reps. Chellie Pingree and Rosa DeLauro.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, expressed plans to follow up with the Trump administration regarding the Clean School Bus program’s funding.
“I will find out about the school buses,” Capito stated. GreenPower, a bus manufacturer in her state, has indicated concerns over the potential loss of funding for its orders under the program.
Other Republicans voiced their support for the Trump administration’s continued withholding of funds, framing it as a temporary measure to ensure compliance with legal spending guidelines.
“I’m from a state where people really support what Trump is doing, and even if it affected them personally, I don’t think they are gonna complain,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis.
According to a Democratic spokesperson for the Energy Committee, over $12 billion in funding for Western drought projects authorized through the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law is still on hold, with no response from Interior Department officials on the matter.
Contracts for much of that funding, which includes water conservation initiatives crucial to averting a crisis in the drought-stricken Colorado River basin, have already been signed. Construction on some projects is currently underway.
“These are agreements the federal government made with Arizona cities, tribal communities, and farmers, and they are essential to keeping the Colorado River flowing,” Sen. Mark Kelly remarked. “In the middle of a historic drought, this needs to be reversed immediately.”
The funding freeze also includes an $81 million plan from the IRA aimed at mitigating California’s water disputes, among other infrastructure upgrades across the West that would benefit Central Valley farmers frequently highlighted by President Trump.
Democrats expressed hope that federal courts would act to compel adherence to the law and that rulings would continue to overturn the Trump administration’s actions, though they noted concerns about potential damage to their clean energy and climate efforts in the interim.
“We were in the middle of a legit manufacturing and clean energy boom and Donald Trump is pulling the plug, so it’s going to take awhile for it to backfire. But it’s going to backfire spectacularly at the economic and political level,” predicted Sen. Brian Schatz.
James Bikales contributed to this report.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
