DOGE gains popularity in regions supportive of Trump
Three months in, it's increasingly evident that federal Washington-based programs and overseas aid are not the only ones feeling the impact of Elon Musk and DOGE's actions. The repercussions are being felt in some of the reddest areas of the...
TroibNews 
Three months in, it's increasingly evident that federal Washington-based programs and overseas aid are not the only ones feeling the impact of Elon Musk and DOGE's actions. The repercussions are being felt in some of the reddest areas of the country, prompting Republican officials to begin voicing their concerns.
Recent abrupt cuts at AmeriCorps have struck hard in states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama, which are known for high poverty rates. National service programs in these areas have long been essential for filling gaps in education, disaster response, and job training.
On Friday, under DOGE’s direction, AmeriCorps unexpectedly cut nearly $400 million in grants, representing over 40 percent of the agency's total grant funds. This decision impacts more than 1,000 grantees and sidelines over 32,000 AmeriCorps members across the nation.
All fifty states received notifications of these terminations. In several states, including Alabama and Wyoming, entire grant portfolios were eliminated.
“Dear AmeriCorps Award Recipient, Effective immediately, the AmeriCorps award subrecipient included in the attached spreadsheet is/are being terminated because it has been determined that the award no longer effectuates agency priorities,” wrote Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi, the acting head of AmeriCorps, in a letter to the affected programs.
The terminated grants support essential initiatives such as building homes, disaster response, and veteran assistance—projects that typically garner bipartisan backing.
“All those services are so well used in Louisiana,” remarked Billy Nungesser, the Republican Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, where cuts affected 13 AmeriCorps programs and around 330 volunteers, including approximately three dozen veterans assigned to assist their peers in transitioning back to civilian life. “I’m hoping that the president can look at it again. If they need to make cuts, let us decide what programs are worthy. It’s hard for them to see from Washington what impact these programs have,” Nungesser added.
In West Virginia, the state’s second-largest AmeriCorps program, known as High Rocks, lost both of its grants on Tuesday. This organization focuses on providing workforce development training for disadvantaged youth. “We're trying so hard to hold on and support our members that just got axed in an incredibly cruel way,” commented Sarah Riley, executive director of High Rocks.
AmeriCorps volunteers were ordered to halt their operations immediately, yet many depend on the program's assistance and are ineligible for unemployment benefits.
“Our greatest export is young people – our future talent,” said Ashlea Krasnansky, a West Virginia native and AmeriCorps student director with High Rocks’ First2 Network program promoting STEM education in the state. “I believe that the AmeriCorps program helps combat this issue.”
Support for AmeriCorps in West Virginia has been largely bipartisan. In 2022, the Republican-controlled legislature unanimously passed a bill that provided tuition assistance to AmeriCorps volunteers, which was signed into law by then-Governor Jim Justice, who is now a U.S. senator.
A spokesperson for DOGE did not respond to a request for comment.
Additionally, 650 volunteers from the National Civilian Community Corps on four campuses nationwide, including two in Iowa and Mississippi, were forced to leave their positions prematurely after DOGE cut the program that enables young people to contribute to disaster relief and community projects.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a long-time proponent of AmeriCorps, expressed his disapproval of the cuts on Musk's platform, X, stating: “I support improving efficiency and eliminating waste, but I would have to object to cutting AmeriCorps grants like those that support Louisiana’s veterans and organizations that provide crucial support after hurricanes and natural disasters.”
In response to these actions, over twenty blue states filed a lawsuit Tuesday, alleging that the Trump administration illegally dismantled the agency without congressional authorization.
On Capitol Hill, some moderate Republicans are searching for solutions to the ongoing issue. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Don Bacon co-sponsored a bill aimed at preventing federal funds from being used to dismantle AmeriCorps. “Congressman Fitzpatrick has long championed AmeriCorps as a vital pillar of national service,” noted Fitzpatrick’s spokesperson Casey-Lee Waldron in a statement. “He’s fighting to protect AmeriCorps from cuts and will continue working across the aisle to ensure it remains a national priority.”
“No one can seem to figure out what the rhyme or reason is. It’s red states and blue states. It’s urban and rural,” observed Hillary Kane, director of the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development.
David Weinstein, founder and executive director of Joyful Readers, a Philadelphia-based organization that provides tutoring for K-12 students, also weighed in, stating: “Our organization teaches kids to read.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Recent abrupt cuts at AmeriCorps have struck hard in states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama, which are known for high poverty rates. National service programs in these areas have long been essential for filling gaps in education, disaster response, and job training.
On Friday, under DOGE’s direction, AmeriCorps unexpectedly cut nearly $400 million in grants, representing over 40 percent of the agency's total grant funds. This decision impacts more than 1,000 grantees and sidelines over 32,000 AmeriCorps members across the nation.
All fifty states received notifications of these terminations. In several states, including Alabama and Wyoming, entire grant portfolios were eliminated.
“Dear AmeriCorps Award Recipient, Effective immediately, the AmeriCorps award subrecipient included in the attached spreadsheet is/are being terminated because it has been determined that the award no longer effectuates agency priorities,” wrote Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi, the acting head of AmeriCorps, in a letter to the affected programs.
The terminated grants support essential initiatives such as building homes, disaster response, and veteran assistance—projects that typically garner bipartisan backing.
“All those services are so well used in Louisiana,” remarked Billy Nungesser, the Republican Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, where cuts affected 13 AmeriCorps programs and around 330 volunteers, including approximately three dozen veterans assigned to assist their peers in transitioning back to civilian life. “I’m hoping that the president can look at it again. If they need to make cuts, let us decide what programs are worthy. It’s hard for them to see from Washington what impact these programs have,” Nungesser added.
In West Virginia, the state’s second-largest AmeriCorps program, known as High Rocks, lost both of its grants on Tuesday. This organization focuses on providing workforce development training for disadvantaged youth. “We're trying so hard to hold on and support our members that just got axed in an incredibly cruel way,” commented Sarah Riley, executive director of High Rocks.
AmeriCorps volunteers were ordered to halt their operations immediately, yet many depend on the program's assistance and are ineligible for unemployment benefits.
“Our greatest export is young people – our future talent,” said Ashlea Krasnansky, a West Virginia native and AmeriCorps student director with High Rocks’ First2 Network program promoting STEM education in the state. “I believe that the AmeriCorps program helps combat this issue.”
Support for AmeriCorps in West Virginia has been largely bipartisan. In 2022, the Republican-controlled legislature unanimously passed a bill that provided tuition assistance to AmeriCorps volunteers, which was signed into law by then-Governor Jim Justice, who is now a U.S. senator.
A spokesperson for DOGE did not respond to a request for comment.
Additionally, 650 volunteers from the National Civilian Community Corps on four campuses nationwide, including two in Iowa and Mississippi, were forced to leave their positions prematurely after DOGE cut the program that enables young people to contribute to disaster relief and community projects.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a long-time proponent of AmeriCorps, expressed his disapproval of the cuts on Musk's platform, X, stating: “I support improving efficiency and eliminating waste, but I would have to object to cutting AmeriCorps grants like those that support Louisiana’s veterans and organizations that provide crucial support after hurricanes and natural disasters.”
In response to these actions, over twenty blue states filed a lawsuit Tuesday, alleging that the Trump administration illegally dismantled the agency without congressional authorization.
On Capitol Hill, some moderate Republicans are searching for solutions to the ongoing issue. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Don Bacon co-sponsored a bill aimed at preventing federal funds from being used to dismantle AmeriCorps. “Congressman Fitzpatrick has long championed AmeriCorps as a vital pillar of national service,” noted Fitzpatrick’s spokesperson Casey-Lee Waldron in a statement. “He’s fighting to protect AmeriCorps from cuts and will continue working across the aisle to ensure it remains a national priority.”
“No one can seem to figure out what the rhyme or reason is. It’s red states and blue states. It’s urban and rural,” observed Hillary Kane, director of the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development.
David Weinstein, founder and executive director of Joyful Readers, a Philadelphia-based organization that provides tutoring for K-12 students, also weighed in, stating: “Our organization teaches kids to read.”
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
