The Trump administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grant funding since President Trump took office for his second term, according to a new tracking tool released Wednesday by the nonprofit States United Democracy Center and the research group Grant Witness.
Scope of the cuts
The analysis, compiled in a database called Lost Funds, indicates that the disruptions span all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Health, nutrition, environmental programs, and disaster‑relief assistance represent the largest shares of the interrupted funding.
Specific examples include a maternal‑health grant in Michigan, an education‑research grant in Mississippi, and assistance for minority farmers in Iowa. States that saw the highest dollar amounts of interrupted grant money were California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina.
Methodology and findings
Lost Funds draws its data from USASpending.gov, the federal government’s open‑source spending database. The groups say the $177 billion figure represents roughly 10 % of total federal discretionary spending. They also note that the scale of these disruptions exceeds the typical grant adjustments that occur when a new administration takes office.
“By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display,” said Scott Delaney, co‑founder of Grant Witness.
Legal challenges
In several instances, courts have ruled against the administration’s grant‑cutting actions, indicating that some of the reductions may not withstand legal scrutiny.
“Lost Funds shows the extraordinary scale and real human impact of these disruptions, and how states are once again on the front lines protecting their residents,” said Kelly Rader, research director for the States United Democracy Center.
Administration response
A request for comment was sent to the White House. No response was included in the original report.
Implications for states and residents
State and local officials argue that the loss or delay of federal grant money can strain programs that serve vulnerable populations, from nutrition assistance to disaster recovery. The tracking tool will be updated regularly as the administration takes further action and as related lawsuits progress.
While the data highlights a significant reduction in federal grant funding, supporters of the administration argue that tighter fiscal oversight is necessary to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. The ongoing debate underscores the tension between federal budget priorities and the needs of state‑level programs.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
