Trump Administration Has Cut or Frozen $177 Billion in Federal Grants Across All States

The Trump administration has cut, frozen or delayed as much as $177 billion in federal grants since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to an analysis released Wednesday by a pro-democracy nonprofit organization and a group of researchers and scientists.

The cuts and funding disruptions have affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with health, nutrition, environmental programs and disaster relief accounting for the largest share, according to the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness.

Among the grants that were eliminated, frozen or delayed were programs supporting maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi and assistance for minority farmers in Iowa, the researchers said.

California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina recorded the largest amounts of interrupted federal grant funding.

The tracking tool, called “Lost Funds,” was created to compile and document thousands of federal funding disruptions. Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness, said the publicly accessible database demonstrates the scale of the administration’s actions and their potential impact.

The organizations estimated that the $177 billion in disrupted grants represents nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending.

Organizers of the tracker said the disruptions went beyond the types of funding adjustments that typically occur when a new administration takes office.

“Lost Funds shows the extraordinary scale and real human impact of these disruptions,” said Kelly Rader, research director at the States United Democracy Center. She also said the data illustrates the role states are playing in responding to the effects of the funding changes.

The administration’s grant cuts have also faced legal challenges. In some cases, courts have ruled against the government over decisions to terminate or restrict federal grant funding.

The findings come amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to restructure federal spending and reduce or redirect funding for various government programs. The $177 billion figure is based on the tracking and analysis conducted by the organizations behind the Lost Funds database.

Source: AP