As much as $177 billion in federal grants has been canceled, placed on hold or otherwise disrupted since President Donald Trump began his second term, according to a new tracking project from the pro-democracy nonprofit States United Democracy Center and the research group Grant Witness.
The impact has reached every state as well as the District of Columbia. Health care, nutrition programs, environmental initiatives and disaster assistance account for the largest portions of the funding affected, the organizations reported.
The grants identified by researchers included support for maternal health programs in Michigan, education studies in Mississippi and aid for minority farmers in Iowa. California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina experienced the greatest dollar amounts in interrupted funding. The database, known as Lost Funds, catalogs the disruptions.
“By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display,” Scott Delaney, Grant Witness co-founder, said in a statement.
According to the groups, the total represents almost one-tenth of all federal discretionary spending.
Organizers of the tracker said the scale of the grant interruptions goes well beyond the routine funding changes that can accompany a transition between presidential administrations.
“Lost Funds shows the extraordinary scale and real human impact of these disruptions, and how states are once again on the front lines protecting their residents,” said Kelly Rader, research director at the States United Democracy Center.
Several of the administration’s efforts to halt or reduce grant funding have also faced legal challenges, with courts ruling against some of the cuts.
The publicly available Lost Funds tracker draws on records from USASpending.gov, the federal government’s open database of spending information, the organizations said in their methodology. They plan to refresh the tool as additional administration actions occur and litigation continues through the courts.
States United describes itself as a nonpartisan organization focused on the rule of law and free, fair and secure elections. The group was co-founded by attorney Norm Eisen, who has participated in high-profile lawsuits involving the Trump administration, including litigation concerning the Kennedy Center.
Grant Witness consists of scientists, researchers and lawyers who track changes in federal funding during President Trump’s administration.
