The Trump administration is now reportedly rescinding roughly $1.5 billion in federal health and transportation funding from several Democrat-led states, a move the White House says is aimed at cutting waste, mismanagement, and ideologically driven programs.
A spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget confirmed Thursday that the administration has directed the Transportation Department to claw back $943 million from Colorado, Illinois, California, and Minnesota. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been instructed to rescind $602 million in health-related grants from the same states.
According to the administration, the transportation funds being pulled were largely tied to electric vehicle charging projects, along with other initiatives such as green buses. The CDC funds were designated for state and local health grants that administration officials say reflect priorities that are too “woke” and disconnected from core public health needs.
The OMB spokesperson said the rescissions are specifically targeting “states fraught with waste and mismanagement,” signaling a broader effort by the administration to rein in spending it believes is being misused or politicized.
The move comes as Minnesota faces a major fraud scandal and marks another chapter in the administration’s ongoing effort to scrutinize federal spending in blue states. The funding cuts were first reported by the New York Post.
Among the transportation projects facing cuts are $100 million for electric vehicle charger deployment in Illinois near underserved communities; $15 million for Minneapolis and St. Paul to install chargers in low-income and high-pollution areas; $15 million for a charging network across the San Francisco Bay Area with an emphasis on disadvantaged communities; and $4.9 million for Colorado to place chargers in low- and middle-income neighborhoods.
On the health side, programs losing funding include $5.2 million for the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to increase use of the HIV-prevention drug PrEP among Black women; $3 million for Colorado aimed at addressing COVID-19-related health disparities; $988,000 for Chicago to engage populations impacted by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; and $500,000 for the University of California to evaluate intimate-partner violence among LGBTQ youth.
A Transportation Department spokesperson said the agency is “moving forward with executing on OMB’s plan,” but declined to provide additional details.
Democratic officials pushed back quickly. A spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said the state had not yet received official notices canceling the grants and vowed to fight the decision. The spokesperson argued there is nothing ideological about transportation safety and claimed Colorado has historically received less back from the federal government than it contributes.
The rescissions fit into a broader pattern. The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to roll back funding for climate-friendly projects and to reduce federal spending directed toward blue states. Previous efforts have included attempts to repeal more than $10 billion in child care funding to Democratic-led states and nearly $8 billion in green energy projects through the Department of Energy.
Some of those actions have faced legal challenges. A judge ordered the administration last month to reinstate a portion of the Energy Department funds, and another ruling required the administration to unfreeze money for electric vehicle chargers under a $5 billion program. Environmental groups have continued to sue, alleging additional funding freezes.
Despite the backlash, the administration has remained firm, arguing that taxpayer dollars should not be used to bankroll politically driven programs or poorly managed states. White House officials have framed the funding cuts as part of a broader effort to restore fiscal discipline and refocus federal spending on what they view as legitimate priorities.
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