A government watchdog has stated that the Trump administration is in violation of the law by withholding funds that Congress allocated for the National Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Network.
The bipartisan infrastructure law allocated $5 billion to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, aimed at creating a comprehensive network of EV chargers across the country.
In February, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that it would be withdrawing all guidance related to the program, indicating that “no new obligations may arise” under the existing structure until updated guidance is issued.
Several states have filed litigation, claiming that the department has withheld a total of $2.74 billion in funding.
This week, bipartisan Congressional watchdogs expressed agreement, pointing out that the Trump administration’s actions violate the Water Storage Control Act, as per findings from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“The DOT is not authorized to withhold these funds from being spent, and it must comply with the statutory requirements of the program,” stated the watchdog organization.
“If the DOT wishes to alter its obligations or expenditures related to the NEVI Formula Program, it must propose a withdrawal of funds or modify the law for Congressional consideration,” the GAO added.
A spokesperson for the DOT responded via email, asserting that the inspector’s report misrepresents the law.
“Their conclusions conflict with Congress’ intent and fundamentally misunderstand how the federal highways program operates, along with the NEVI program’s framework,” stated the spokesperson. “GAO’s assessment is also inconsistent with its earlier reports on how federal highway programs similar to NEVI should be administered.”
The spokesperson mentioned that the department is currently reviewing and updating the program’s guidance.
This issue specifically pertains to the EV programs, but it reflects a broader pattern of funding freezes or cancellations by the Trump administration.
Senate Democrats estimate that the administration has blocked around $400 billion in funding.
“This ruling confirms what we’ve known: the President is unlawfully obstructing bipartisan funding that has been approved, which rightly belongs to the American people,” said a Senate Democrat.
“These bipartisan investments need to be released quickly, especially since previous administrations managed hundreds of billions without incident. The Constitution is clear, and President Trump simply lacks the authority to control these funds.”
