 Energy & Environment |
Energy & Environment |
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Judge indefinitely pauses Trump spending freeze |
A federal judge on Tuesday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration's freeze of federal funding, dealing a stark blow to President Trump's sweeping efforts to realign government spending with his agenda. |
© Rebecca Blackwell, Associated Press |
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan enjoined the government from "implementing, giving effect to, or reinstating under a different name" the White House budget office's directive to freeze federal assistance while the court reviews the spending. A number of grants funding environmentally focused projects have remained frozen.
"In the simplest terms, the freeze was ill-conceived from the beginning," AliKhan wrote. "Defendants either wanted to pause up to $3 trillion in federal spending practically overnight, or they expected each federal agency to review every single one of its grants, loans, and funds for compliance in less than twenty-four hours. The breadth of that command is almost unfathomable."
AliKhan, who was nominated by former President Biden, previously blocked the current administration from keeping disbursements paused while she weighed whether to issue a preliminary injunction.
On Tuesday, she said the plaintiffs had "more than met their burden" for further relief.
The Justice Department (DOJ), however, said the case is moot because the memo was rescinded.
"A general interest in carrying out a policy is not enough to keep a case alive," DOJ lawyer Daniel Schwei said at the hearing. The DOJ has also argued the administration still plans to freeze some funds in accordance with Trump's executive orders. Read more from our colleague Ella Lee at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. |
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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: |
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Farmers and green groups sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday for an "unlawful purge" of climate data from its website. |
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President Trump is calling for the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline, the controversial oil pipeline canceled by President Biden in 2021. |
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Utah is on the verge of becoming the first state to prohibit cities and towns from adding fluoride to their public water supply. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday urged Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to treat federal workers respectfully as they look to cut wasteful programs and improve efficiency in government. |
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News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: |
- Hundreds in Park Service Have Opted to Quit, Agency Memo Says (The New York Times)
- California faces worsening drought despite recent heavy rainstorms (The Guardian)
- Data centers are overwhelming the grid. Could they help it instead? (Canary Media)
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on energy and environment spending under the Biden administration.
- The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on energy reliability.
- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing on the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the implementation of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Trump administration said Tuesday that it would be revamping the U.S. investor visa, increasing the funds required to secure the status while dubbing the new option a "gold card." Read more | | Elon Musk’s push to reduce the federal workforce is running into headwinds as Senate-confirmed Cabinet and agency officials block his immediate efforts to carry out the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) plans. Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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