Sign in Subscribe
Wildfires

Washington State Sues Trump Administration Over Climate Change Funding Cuts

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for unlawfully withholding over $9 million in congressionally authorized funds to help the state prepare for the impacts of climate change. The funding cuts, implemented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will have severe consequences for Washington communities, jeopardizing jobs and undermining the state's comprehensive climate resilience strategy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Trump administration has been sued by Washington State over the unlawful withholding of over $9 million in climate resilience funding.
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) terminated two climate resilience-focused funding opportunities in May 2023, citing the president's new priorities.
  • The Tribal Stewards Program, awarded $9.3 million to develop a network of colleges, tribes, and employers to educate students in climate resilience fields, has been severely impacted by the funding cuts.
  • The Advancing an Equitable Framework for Coastal Resilience project, awarded $250,000 to reduce environmental and health disparities by supporting local efforts to address coastal hazards, has had its funding reduced by nearly half, threatening the work of coastal communities.
  • The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA violated the Administrative Procedure Act by taking arbitrary and capricious action to terminate the funding, and that the agencies' actions are unconstitutional due to the violation of the U.S. Constitution's Spending Clause and separation of powers principles.
  • The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) Tribal Stewards Program has been impacted directly, with 11 employers having already committed to hiring graduates in well-paying climate resilience jobs.
  • The funding cuts will have severe consequences for Washington communities, including jeopardizing jobs and undermining the state's comprehensive climate resilience strategy.

Statistics:

  • $9 million: the amount of climate resilience funding unlawfully withheld by the Trump administration from Washington State.
  • 2,130 post-secondary students: the number of students who would have been educated in wildlife biology, environmental science, and other natural resource degrees with a focus on climate resilience through the Tribal Stewards Program.
  • 11 employers: the number of employers who had committed to hiring Tribal Stewards graduates in well-paying climate resilience jobs.
  • $250,000: the amount of funding awarded to the Advancing an Equitable Framework for Coastal Resilience project, reduced by nearly half to $114,000 due to the funding cuts.
  • 38 counties: the number of counties in Washington State where the Attorney General's Office provides prosecution services for elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and other cases.

Sources:

  • "Attorney General Nick Brown files lawsuit against Trump administration over climate funding cuts" (Office of the Washington Attorney General)
  • "Washington State Sues Trump Administration Over Climate Change Funding Cuts" (Office of the Washington Attorney General)
  • "Tribal Stewards Program" (State Board for Community and Technical Colleges)
  • "Advancing an Equitable Framework for Coastal Resilience" (Washington State Department of Ecology)

Read more