Tue Feb 25 14:40:00 UTC 2025: **Pennsylvania Governor Secures Release of Billions in Federal Funds After Legal Battle**
Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced Monday that the Trump administration has released over $2 billion in federal aid that had been previously frozen. The funds, earmarked for various state programs, had been the subject of a lawsuit filed by Governor Shapiro on February 13th, alleging illegal and unconstitutional withholding of the money.
The lawsuit targeted five federal agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget and the Environmental Protection Agency, for freezing funds allocated to initiatives such as energy efficiency upgrades, abandoned mine land cleanup, and improvements to water and sewer systems. Much of the funding originated from legislation passed during the Biden administration, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 infrastructure bill.
While the Trump administration’s lawyers argued in a Rhode Island court that the funding freeze was a temporary “pause” and legally sound, Governor Shapiro stated that he successfully pressed the issue with senior administration officials during a recent trip to Washington D.C. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia declined to comment.
The released funds will now be accessible to Pennsylvania state agencies. While the Department of Energy stated compliance with court orders, other agencies named in the lawsuit have yet to publicly comment on the release of the funds.
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