Washington State Sues Trump Administration for Withholding Climate Funding

Strategic Insights -

Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for withholding more than $9 million in congressionally authorized funds to help protect the state from the impacts of climate change. The funds were allocated to help Washington's communities prepare for the effects of climate change, including heatwaves, wildfires, drought, and flooding. However, NOAA abruptly terminated the awards, citing the president's new priorities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Trump administration has withheld $9 million in congressionally authorized funds from Washington state to help protect the state from the impacts of climate change.
  • The funds were allocated to support projects such as the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges' Tribal Stewards Program, which aimed to educate 2,130 post-secondary students in wildlife biology, environmental science, and other natural resource degrees with a focus on climate resilience.
  • NOAA terminated the awards, citing the president's new priorities, which has real impact for Washington - jeopardizing jobs and threatening to undermine the state's comprehensive climate resilience strategy.
  • The suit argues that the agencies' actions are unconstitutional because they violated the U.S. Constitution's Spending Clause and foundational separation of powers principles.
  • The state asks the court to determine that the agencies' actions were unlawful and unconstitutional and to reverse the terminations.
  • The Attorney General's Office is representing Washington state in the lawsuit, led by Assistant Attorneys General Caitlin Soden, Leah Brown, and Ellen Range, and Paralegals Joshua Bennett and Julie Dolloff.

Statistics:

  • $9 million: the amount of congressionally authorized funds withheld by the Trump administration from Washington state to help protect the state from the impacts of climate change.
  • 2,130: the number of post-secondary students that were expected to be educated through the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges' Tribal Stewards Program.
  • $94,000: the amount of funds withheld from the Department of Ecology's project titled Advancing an Equitable Framework for Coastal Resilience in Washington State.
  • 11: the number of employers that had committed to hiring Tribal Stewards graduates, who would have filled positions in some of the state's most economically depressed regions and areas most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Sources:

  • "AG Brown sues Trump administration for withholding climate funding", Washington state Attorney General's Office, August 8.
  • "Tribal Stewards Program", State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
  • "Advancing an Equitable Framework for Coastal Resilience in Washington State", Department of Ecology.