Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA ) confirmed Monday that the Trump administration released some$ 2 billion of federal aid back to Pennsylvania.
Shapiro said he” may continue to press” the situation during a press conference announcing the launch of this money. The management is facing another lawsuit filed by 23 states and Washington, D. C., over another pauses of national resources.
” As a result of our petition and our continued stress on and relationship with the Trump Administration, every penny that we identified at the registration of our complaint is currently unfrozen and once again visible to all Pennsylvania state agencies”, Shapiro said on Monday. ” With the money restored, we will now begin critical applications and infrastructure jobs that have been jeopardized by this unlawful freeze”.
Shapiro was in Washington, D. C., over the weekend for the winter meeting of governors. During his visit, he said he personally discussed the pending litigation with senior Trump officials, as well as Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA ). The discussion came about a week after he filed the lawsuit.
” I urged them to follow the law and to honor their agreements with Pennsylvania. As a result of that direct engagement last week, our funding is unfrozen”, Shapiro said.
The aid was approved by Congress and is for programs that “prevent sinkholes and make abandoned mines safe”, according to Shapiro, and toward reducing home energy costs.
The Trump administration said the funding freeze was temporary while determining the best use for the money. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget rescinded its memo announcing another freeze on federal grants.
Still, five agencies face a lawsuit brought by nearly two dozen Democratic governors. They include the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Transportation.
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This freeze is also facing two temporary orders against it from two federal judges. Dozens more lawsuits surrounding President Donald Trump’s various executive orders are also pending.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House for comment.
