Posted January 29, 2025 in Weblog

Weblog initially posted right here by Transportation for America and is reposted right here with permission.

The federal authorities owes communities upwards of $125.6 billion {dollars} in federal contract obligations from the infrastructure legislation however President Trump is threatening to renege on the federal government’s legally binding commitments. Right here’s how a lot they owe for transportation.

The promised “Golden Age” of journey is already in want of some roadside help. 

Amidst a wave of day-one actions by the brand new administration, President Trump signed the Unleashing American Vitality govt order on January 20, 2025, concentrating on the earlier administration’s prime priorities. Whereas the rhetoric was targeted on stopping spending on range and inclusion, and local weather and electrical automobiles applications, the language was unclear and indiscriminately paused all spending for all applications beneath the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act and Inflation Discount Act. This set the administration as much as violate binding, authorized contracts paying for every part from prepare tracks to visitors lights. 

Practically everybody was shocked and confused, together with teams like AASHTO which represents state departments of transportation.

The subsequent day, the Workplace of Administration and Finances (OMB) launched steerage (M-25-11) making an attempt to stroll again the scope of the day before today’s order. Whereas nonetheless leaving issues muddied, the administration was capable of articulate its meant motion to officers: there can be a halt on new obligations for a gaggle of electrical car and community-focused applications, however legally required disbursements to obligated tasks would proceed.

On Monday of this week, in obvious disregard of the occasions of the earlier week, the OMB issued a brand new memo (M-25-13) issuing an undefined “non permanent pause”  on “all actions associated to obligation or disbursement of all federal monetary help,” increasing the scope of the Unleashing American Vitality govt order from the earlier administration’s signature applications to almost each single federally funded challenge and program within the nation. A slew of recent paperwork circulated by the admin has accomplished little to light up the administration’s intentions, with paperwork calling for particular person company workers to determine if particular person applications, together with these which might be defunct, occur to battle with the brand new administration’s priorities. 

Whereas a federal decide put a non permanent pause on this funding freeze earlier than it was to enter impact late Tuesday, it isn’t clear if the Trump administration will pause. Subsequently, with all federal funding frozen, every part from federally sponsored lunches to efforts that battle avian flu is in limbo. Admittedly, transportation tasks are nowhere close to as pressing, however that’s our area and the place we are going to focus. 

UPDATE 1/29/25 1:15 p.m. ET The Washington Put up is reporting that this OMB steerage is being rescinded. “In a memo dated Wednesday and distributed to federal companies, Matthew J. Vaeth, appearing director of the White Home Workplace of Administration and Finances, states that OMB memorandum M-25-13 ‘is rescinded.’” This marks the second time in every week that steerage affecting huge swaths of transportation spending has been issued after which rescinded or clarified. They backed off final week however then went greater with this OMB steerage that’s now rescinded. Nobody ought to anticipate the story to finish right here. You must completely proceed to name and electronic mail your Senators and consultant, your USDOT contacts, the administration, and the media to make clear in the event that they plan to reinstitute the same freeze for a third time, in addition to the present and future standing of all ongoing transportation tasks and lively grants. [End update]

Federal transportation funding is all the time flowing to all ranges of presidency. All the things on a spectrum from small grant applications (like Secure Streets and Roads for All grants), to the Federal Freeway Administration’s largest method program to states (the Nationwide Freeway Efficiency Program) are affected with out adequate clarification concerning the impacts on lively tasks.

Assume this pause will instantly have an effect on tasks in your group. To get solutions on what this would possibly imply in your challenge and the way lengthy this pause will final, we strongly encourage you to let individuals know concerning the impression a pause or cancellation of your challenge can have.

• Attain out to your contact at USDOT (or elsewhere within the administration) and ask them to make clear in case your challenge is stopped and for the way lengthy. Allow them to know the impression of even a pause. Figuring out that there’s an upcoming deadline earlier than furloughs or occasions that must be canceled would possibly assist them to make choices extra shortly.
• Contact your federal representatives within the Home and the Senate to allow them to find out about your challenge and get their assist to hurry a willpower about your challenge and get the funds flowing once more. Ask them to make clear the standing of your challenge and clarify why it’s or will not be shifting ahead. In case your member of Congress attended an occasion or put out a press launch saying your grant, recommend they take the same motion to clarify the standing of the challenge beneath this order.
• Make sure that your state, county, and native elected officers find out about your challenge and the impression this order can have. They are able to enable you to get solutions. (Plus, they might be making an attempt to get a deal with on every part inside their jurisdiction that’s impacted and establish methods to assist.) Right here’s an on-line software which will enable you to discover your native and state-level officers.
• Name reporters to allow them to find out about your challenge in order that they’ll get a way of the impression to your areas. Ask them the identical questions you might be asking USDOT and your elected leaders—does this order have an effect on our challenge and why? See if they’ll write about this and enable you to get details about what’s occurring.

This order may have immense implications for states’ economies and local-level priorities. In 2022, federal funding made up over a 3rd of states’ revenues. Alternatively, it’s clear that this motion was not thought out. The final 7 days have been chaotic, and we are able to ensure that the subsequent 7 days might be too.

Don’t make any assumptions about the place issues are heading. Slightly than issuing declarations and statements, contain those that made these choices and people who have oversight powers over the administration in these questions and challenges. They should personal this mess and determine it out.

Fill their cellphone traces and inboxes up with so many “do you all know what this implies?” questions that they’ll suppose twice about doing this sort of factor once more. 

Click on the picture under to view a spreadsheet of all IIJA funding presently in danger.