PHOENIX (AZFamily) — One of President Donald Trump’s executive orders is putting major infrastructure projects in Arizona at risk, according to U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat representing Arizona’s 4th Congressional District.
The directive he’s concerned about is called “Unleashing American Energy.”
“An executive order has to be written with clarity and unfortunately, this one was written in a way that obfuscates the issue. And now hundreds of millions of dollars, billions of dollars is at risk of not being spent for his intended purpose,” said Stanton.
Stanton sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation this week that outlines his fear that state governments could be on the hook for billions of dollars.
Trump’s directive states “all agencies shall immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”
It’s supposed to target “Green New Deal” programs, or progressive clean energy projects but it could defund others in progress in Arizona.
“He didn’t want to fund green projects. He wrote the executive order in a way that unfunded all projects,” said Stanton. “We don’t even know what a green project is versus a nongreen project. If you build a highway or a freeway with sustainable materials, is that a green project? I don’t know, but it should be funded.”
Stanton said improvements at Phoenix Sky Harbor and Mesa Gateway airports, water infrastructure upgrades, and the widening of the I-10 south of Phoenix may all lose promised federal funding which could stop development in its tracks.
“You cancel these programs, these projects, it’s a job-killing action and it hurts the American economy,” said Stanton.
The White House released additional guidance Tuesday, saying agency heads can give out money as they see fit after consulting with the Office of Management and Budget.
“If you’re a local government or a planning organization that has been planning for a major infrastructure project for a long period of time, case by case doesn’t cut it. They need to know that they’re going to have the resources that were committed to them,” Stanton said.
“It is business as usual until we receive further direction from our federal partners,” ADOT said in a statement.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport released the following statement:
“Supporting the essential infrastructure of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is necessary to ensure that we are meeting record increases in passenger demand and providing the kind of customer experience that people expect from America’s Friendliest Airport. Federal funding for transportation projects is a bipartisan priority, and we appreciate the support from our Congressional delegation for these investments, and look forward to working with our federal agency partners to showcase the value of our projects for the whole state of Arizona.”
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