Nashville Sues to Stop Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze
TL/DR –
Nashville is joining a lawsuit, led by the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Public Rights Project, which seeks to halt the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze. The suit involves cities and nonprofits who were awarded federal grants under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For Nashville, these grants include about $15 million for projects to upgrade and expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure city-wide and to add bikeways in East Nashville.
Nashville Sues Trump Administration Over Federal Funding Freeze
Nashville is collaborating with five cities and multiple nonprofits to sue the Trump administration over its federal funding freeze. This lawsuit is led by the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Public Rights Project.
The 86-page lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The suit names Donald Trump and various officials, including Amy Gleason, Acting Administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, and Elon Musk, listed as a US DOGE service advisor.
The suit represents nonprofits and cities awarded federal grants for specific programs enacted by Congress under the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and other federal statutes.
Funding for Nashville Projects Affected
For Metro Nashville, the freeze affects two grant awards: a $4.7 million grant for the Electrify Music City project, aimed at enhancing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and a $9.3 million grant for the East Nashville Spokes project, funding transit connection including bike lanes and pedestrian improvements.
The lawsuit alleges that planning for the Electrify Music City project is now in chaos. Similarly, the East Nashville Spokes project, incorporated into the Choose How You Move transit plan, is facing uncertainty due to the funding hiatus.
Other Cities Affected By The Freeze
Besides Nashville, cities like Baltimore and Madison have also been affected by the freeze. In Baltimore, a training program for jobs in the water and waste industries has been disrupted, while in Madison, a project to improve housing affordability via home energy upgrades is impacted.
Wally Dietz, Metro Director of Law, is quoted in a Southern Environmental Law Center press release about the lawsuit stating the suit demands federally approved and awarded grant funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation be delivered to Nashville “as promised.”
Dietz defended the suit, stating, “Metro Nashville filed this suit because the constitutional separation of powers must be maintained. No president, much less a non-federal employee at a fictional agency, has the authority to freeze funds appropriated by Congress.”
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