Sierra Club Statement on Federal Judge’s Ruling to Unfreeze Climate and Infrastructure Law Funding

Washington, DC - Late yesterday, Judge Mary McElroy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island-appointed to the bench by Donald Trump in 2019-ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully withheld funding when it unilaterally frozeawards and grants authorized by the landmark Inflation Reduction Act climate law and the bipartisan infrastructure law. The judge ordered EPA, the Department of Energy, and other agencies to immediately resume disbursing funds authorized by both laws.

Since it was signed into law in August of 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act has created more than 400,000 clean energy jobs across the United States and helped millions of Americans save billions in reduced energy costs annually.

In response, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:

"Donald Trump is not king, and his continued efforts to terminate or withhold Congressionally authorized funding from the climate and infrastructure laws not only violates the trust of the millions of Americans who advocated for and are benefiting from these programs, it also violates the law. But it shouldn't take a lengthy legal process to see that Donald Trump's brazen attempts to undermine clean air and water are as unlawful as they are immoral. We fought hard for the passage of this legislation because we knew it would protect lives, lower costs for families, create good jobs, and help us avert the very worst of the climate crisis. We'll continue to stand up to Donald Trump and anyone else who stands in the way of a safe and sustainable future."

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About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.