Washington, D.C.—Today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), released the following statement after the Government Accountability Office found that the Trump Administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 when he abruptly froze funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program:

“An independent government watchdog has affirmed that freezing these congressionally appropriated infrastructure funds violates the law. Trump’s brazen usurping of congressional authority should be challenged by Republicans in Congress, but they have zero collective spine. This breakdown in our constitutional system of government harms American workers, families, and businesses, for the sake of creepy billionaires.  Transportation Secretary Duffy must release the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law NEVI funds without any fog bank of delay, red tape, and excuses.”

Ranking Member Whitehouse previously led all Democratic members of the Committee in demanding answers from Secretary of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy about the blocked funds.  The NEVI program—included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—provides funding directly to states for installing public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.  All 50 states and Puerto Rico have already awarded more than $510 million in NEVI funding to construct charging ports, with more contracts ready to move forward.