Ranking Member Scott Slams Trump Administration Plan to Weaponize Federal Grant Dollars to Undermine Civil Rights

Ranking Member Scott Slams Trump Administration Plan to Weaponize Federal Grant Dollars to Undermine Civil Rights

WASHINGTON -Today, House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought urging OMB to withdraw the Trump Administration's proposed rule, entitled Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, that would politicize how federal grant dollars are managed and administered.

Ranking Member Scott warned that the sweeping changes in the Proposed Rule would upend the continuity of federal programs, harming individuals' and communities' access to essential services, as well as federally supported research that informs virtually every sector of our lives and policymaking at all levels of government.

In his letter, Ranking Member Scott argues that the new rule is simply another attempt by President Trump to overreach his executive power by granting political appointees authority to review how grant dollars are spent.

"The Proposed Rule attempts to codify multiple executive orders (EO) issued by President Trump-orders that espouse radical interpretations of civil rights and constitutional law that are currently the subject of numerous legal challenges. The Proposed Rule embeds divisive and questionable legal doctrine promoted by the Trump Administration in every federal grant; exceeds the authority of the Executive Branch; and ignores decades of best practices in research and science supposedly in the name of transparency, accountability, and oversight. The Proposed Rule would give more discretionary power to a Chief Executive who has proven willing to use the power he does have to punish political enemies and those who disagree with him … This Proposed Rule should be abandoned in its entirety. Moreover, any future changes made to the Uniform Guidance should de-emphasize the role of political appointees; embrace the concepts of scientific peer review, integrity, and independence; and not place the political pursuits of the President above the Constitution and laws of our country," wrote Ranking Member Scott.

To read the full letter, click here.

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