Garamendi Slams Trump for Stealing $7.5 Billion from California

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement after President Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced the cancellation of $7.5 billion in funding for 223 clean energy projects, including over 70 projects in California:

"Donald Trump and Russ Vought are blatantly stealing from California. This political attack is nothing more than retaliation for their own shutdown, which will send Californians' energy bills skyrocketing."

"I was notified late Wednesday of the $7.5 billion cancellation in energy projects by the Department of Energy, which claimed these projects 'did not adequately advance the nation's energy needs, were not economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on taxpayer dollars.' The problem is that the DOE provided zero analysis supporting these claims. These projects went through a highly competitive approval process and would have strengthened America's energy security while delivering critical public health benefits for our country. Multiple impacted projects were within the University of California system, including UC Davis research on concentrated solar power systems to improve efficiency and lower costs. The only result of Trump's cuts is higher energy costs and punishment for our students and researchers.

"The Department of Energy, along with the entire federal government, has been captured by President Trump's vile politics-politics that have nothing to do with serving the American people. Every American, Democrat and Republican alike, should be gravely disturbed. Our government is being weaponized by petty and dangerous people who wield power only to punish their political opponents. This cancellation is nothing more than a desperate act of retribution against Democrats standing up for working families-all because President Trump and Republicans decided that giving tax cuts to billionaires is more important than lowering costs for ordinary Americans.

"When Americans see both their health care and energy costs skyrocket, they should remember who is responsible: Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The media must hold Trump accountable and make it clear who is to blame, because the American people deserve the truth."

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