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Trump shifts federal grant approvals to political appointees

President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring political appointees, not career civil servants, to review and approve all federal grants, a change that could reshape billions in funding for programs from environmental protection to education.

Robin Bravender reports for E&E News.

In short:

The order directs agency heads to appoint senior officials to oversee grant reviews, with the stated goal of aligning spending with “agency priorities and the national interest.”
The administration has already canceled over 15,000 grants worth $44 billion, including $7 billion for solar projects in low-income communities.
Critics warn the change will slow funding, politicize the process, and disrupt programs in environmental justice, science, and education.

Key quote:

“The bureaucracy exists to help facilitate government working effectively and efficiently, and this is going in the opposite direction.”

— Matthew Tejada, senior vice president at the Natural Resources Defense Council and former senior staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Why this matters:

Federal grants fuel essential programs that often operate far from political attention — cleaning up polluted waterways, funding renewable energy in struggling neighborhoods, or enabling universities to conduct public health research. Shifting control from career experts to political appointees risks tilting funding decisions toward short-term political agendas rather than long-term public benefit. In environmental health and climate policy, where projects can take years to show results, sudden cancellations can dismantle progress and waste prior investments. Rural towns, low-income communities, and small nonprofits — often reliant on federal aid to address pollution, energy access, or disaster resilience — could be hit hardest.

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