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Governor Kotek urges withdrawal of federal proposal to politicize grant decisions
Summary
Governor Kotek urged the Trump administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would permit political appointees to review federal funding awards, warning it could undermine Congress'determined appropriations and jeopardize roughly $25.5 billion in federal support for Oregon programs.
Governor Kotek urged Oregonians to oppose a proposed federal rule change that she said would hand political appointees the power to review federal funding awards. "They think political appointees should review funding decisions," she said, arguing that the change would shift decisions away from objective rules toward political priorities.
Kotek emphasized why the issue matters for everyday services in Oregon, noting that the state received roughly $25,500,000,000 in federal funding last year to support health care, food assistance, schools, roads, wildfire preparation and emergency response. "That money is supposed to follow clear rules," she said, adding that "Congress votes on and appropriates these dollars."
Kotek described the administration's proposal as a risk to the constitutional separation of powers. "Their proposal would let the administration override decisions made by Congress, violate the separation of powers, and turn federal funding your tax dollars into a political tool," she said. She announced that Oregon has sent a letter asking the administration to withdraw the proposal and closed by saying, "Oregon, I am not gonna stay silent when Washington puts Oregon's ability to serve people at risk."
