DOT says it is reviewing 3,200 grants, clears thousands and proposes rescopes; EV charging policy draws scrutiny
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Secretary Duffy told the House committee the department is reviewing roughly 3,200 previously announced discretionary grant awards, has cleared many for obligation, and proposes rescoping or canceling some awards including planned EV charging grants. Members raised concerns about delays and local economic impacts.
WASHINGTON
The Department of Transportation is conducting a large-scale review of previously announced discretionary grants and told a House committee it has cleared many awards while rescinding or rescoping some others.
Secretary Duffy told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that the department inherited an unusually large number of announced grants without fully executed grant agreements and that staff are working through roughly 3,200 such awards.
'We have been left 3,200 grants; that is a historic number from the last administration,' Duffy told lawmakers, and said his team expects to substantially complete the review in the late summer or early fall.
Why it matters: Committee members said delayed obligations keep projects from moving to construction, stall job creation and strain local planning. Several members urged the department to move awards to obligate funding quickly. Others objected to specific rescissions and funding cancellations set out in the department's FY2026 proposal.
Key details
- Backlog and pace: Duffy said the department has cleared thousands of grants and was working toward completing the remaining review, estimating completion in late summer to early fall. Members said roughly 1,300 grants remained under review.
- EV charging and NEVI guidance: The FY2026 request and subsequent department actions raised the prospect of rescinding about $5.7 billion in EV charging grants authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Duffy said the administration wants to rewrite guidance for EV charging programs (NEVI) so states can deliver chargers more effectively and with stronger Buy America compliance. He said he had sent revised NEVI guidance to OMB and awaited feedback.
- Truck parking and reallocation: Several members pressed Duffy about a $275 million administration announcement for truck parking; he said the department will continue to prioritize high-needs locations and consider redeploying EV funds to address truck parking and safety where justified.
- Terminated research grants: Duffy acknowledged the department has terminated a small number of research awards (cards and university centers) that he said did not meet the department's safety-focused priorities; members criticized the cancellations as arbitrary and said they disrupted ongoing research.
What lawmakers asked: Members requested specific timelines for outstanding grants and asked for clarity on how rescopes or cancellations would be communicated to awardees. Some members sought to protect community economic projects'for example ports and airport work'from department-level rescissions.
Quotes
'Everyone wants their grants right now, and so we are working diligently to do that as quickly as possible,' Duffy said.
'Holding up these grants stalls badly needed job-creating infrastructure investments,' Rep. Rick Crawford said during questioning.
What remains unresolved: The timeline for finishing the review of all remaining grants; the final NEVI guidance and whether previously announced funds will be reprogrammed; and the process for rescoping or otherwise amending awards.
Looking ahead: Duffy said the department will provide additional letters and briefs to the committee and pledged to work with states on NEVI guidance and Buy America implementation.