Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) at an Event in Portland Several Years Ago.
Funding freezes at the EPA have motivated Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) and colleagues to demand answers from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to questions about those freezes according to a press release issued this morning from the Congreswoman’s office.
The letter to Administrator Zeldin follows Donald Trump’s illegal executive orders that stopped funding for programs that famililes and communiies depend on, such as access to clean drinking water and affordable clean energy and ongoing efforts to block access to federal funds in communities across the country.
“The Trump Administration’s memo freezing vast swaths of federal funds, its failed attempt to clarify the scopes of the memo, and its subsequent swaths rescission of the memo have created mass chaos and added to the confusion about what investments are currently being blocked. Today, our understanding is that much of the Agency’s funding is still frozen, but some select program may resume in the near future. Yet let us be clear – all of EPA’s funding must be made available and disbursed pursuant to the law with no exceptions,” the senior members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees wrote in the letter to Administrator Zeldin.
“Funding freezes – which the administration intentionally implemented before court intervention – devastate programs that protect public health and the environment while increase costs for families,” the lawmakers continued in the letter to Administrator Zeldin. “The Trump administration will be raising energy costs for families and businesses will be losing out on thousands of potential jobs as programs like Solar for All and Clean School Bus rebates are terminated. Continuing to freeze these investments – or permanently blocking them – will unravel critical programsd the Agency has made towards clean air and clean water and cost American households and businesses dearly.”
“Not only does the Constitution vest the power of the purse with Congress and provide no power to the President to impound funds, but there have been several bedrock fiscal statutes enacted to protect Congress’ constitutional power and prevent unlawful execution overreach, including the antideficiency Actd and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The ICA prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently without following the strictly circumscribed requirement of that law, which have notd been honored in this instance,” the lawmakers who signed the letter to Administrator Zeldin stressed.
The other Congress members signing on to the letter to the Administrator are: Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03).