What if a political appointee could veto vital scientific research on children’s asthma or a community air monitoring program or funding for local wind or solar development—just because the President doesn’t think science matters?
Last month, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released an alarming, sweeping proposal that would dramatically change the way federal grant funding works. If finalized, the proposal would put congressionally mandated federal grant spending, including clean air and clean energy programs and research, at the mercy of partisan politics. We can’t let this happen.
Tell the White House: Federal Grant Funding Shouldn’t Be a Weapon of Partisan Politics
This proposal means that partisan officials could, on a whim, cancel grant funding for:
- Local solar and wind projects—and clean energy research—that cut air and climate pollution
- Scientific studies on how air pollution exposure in childhood leads to chronic disease and health inequities—and how to stop it
- Critical community hubs for resilience during and after climate-fueled weather disasters, from libraries and museums to art programs
The proposal would devalue the critical process of independent peer review in funding decisions around scientific research, instead mandating that funding be aligned with “presidential policy priorities” and “the national interest.”
And this administration has made their values crystal clear over the last 18 months. The well-being of children facing the devastating health consequences of climate-driven heat, wildfires, superstorms, and air pollution? Definitely not a “presidential policy priority” for this administration.
This proposal is an outrage, and we all need to speak out. Join Moms Clean Air Force in telling OMB that federal grant funding shouldn’t be turned into a weapon of partisan politics.
Tell the White House: Federal Grant Funding Shouldn’t Be a Weapon of Partisan Politics