Rep. Stevens Leads Fight Against Trump Plan to Politicize Federal Grants
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens led 21 Members of Congress in introducing the Protect Local Funding Act, legislation to block the Trump Administration’s politicization of the federal grant process, stand up to Donald Trump’s overreach, and protect federal taxpayer dollars for local communities.
On May 29, 2026, the Trump Administration released a new proposal to overhaul the federal grantmaking process, allowing politics to determine where federal funding gets allocated. Notably, it would give senior political appointees the power to review discretionary grant funding and allow federal agencies to change or terminate grants after they are awarded. The proposal would diminish the role of independent, merit-based review instead making funding decisions based on partisan politics rather than expert advice. Grant recipients across scientific research, public health, public safety and law enforcement, disaster preparedness and response, and agriculture and rural development areas could see their funding threatened by the new proposal. This move, straight out of the Project 2025 playbook, comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s repeated disregard for Congress’s role in the budget process, gutting of the federal civil service, and withholding of federal funds to states for political purposes.
Congresswoman Stevens is fighting back against Trump’s attempts to take over the federal grantmaking process. Her new legislation would halt the Administration’s proposal in its tracks, preventing the White House from implementing the rule. This legislation would protect independent and merit-based grantmaking, ensuring taxpayer funds are awarded based on expertise and technical merit rather than Trump’s political whims.
In particular, the Protect Local Funding Act would:
- Keep Politics Out of Grants: Prohibit OMB and federal agencies from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the proposed grantmaking rule.
- Stop Future Power Grabs: Block any substantially similar future rule that would allow political appointees to override expert grant evaluations.
- Protect Merit-Based Funding: Preserve independent grant review processes that rely on career officials, peer review, and subject matter experts.
- Prevent Waste, Fraud, and Abuse: Ensure taxpayer dollars are awarded based on merit and evidence, not political whims.
“Federal grants are critical to our communities, especially our small and medium manufacturers, scientific researchers, and local law enforcement,” said Rep. Stevens. “We cannot allow Donald Trump to inject politics into our grants system and give his cronies unilateral power to direct federal funding to their allies and block it for their opponents.”
From countering Trump’s military deployments on U.S. soil, to reversing Trump’s cuts to scientific and medical research, to holding ICE agents accountable, to impeaching RFK Jr., Congresswoman Stevens is leading the charge in Congress to stand up to the Trump Administration. Stevens is also advocating to boost scientific research funding for labs and universities across the country in her role as the top Democrat on the House Research and Technology Subcommittee. For her work, Stevens has been named the most effective Democrat in Congress on Science and Technology issues.
The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Debbie Dingell (MI-06); Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07); Jared Huffman (CA-02); Sarah McBride (DE); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25); Mike Quigley (IL-05); Bill Foster (IL-11); Nikki Budzinski (IL-13); April McClain Delaney (MD-06); Seth Moulton (MA-06); Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05); Melanie Stansbury (NM-01); Dan Goldman (NY-10); Josh Riley (NY-19); Greg Landsman (OH-01); Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06); Chris Deluzio (PA-17); and Gwen Moore (WI-04).
Text of the bill can be found here.
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