Story perspectives

DOE Cancels $7.6B Grants to Harris-Voting States, Sparks Probe

7/25/2026

Center

DOE Cancels Grants

In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy cancelled 284 research grants worth $7.6 billion in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the terminations were business decisions, not political, while OMB Director Russ Vought labeled the funding a “Green New Scam.”
Court filings revealed the cuts were based solely on the states’ Democratic support.
Democratic lawmakers, including Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, requested an inspector-general investigation.

Left

DOE Cancels Grants

In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy cancelled 284 research grants worth $7.6 billion, affecting 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris.
The cuts were portrayed as a politically motivated assault that endangers clean-energy research, harms Democratic-leaning states and jeopardizes vulnerable communities.
University of California faculty sued, alleging keyword filters ignored grant performance and violated constitutional rights.
Lawmakers denounced weaponizing aid, warning it could raise costs and stall climate research.

Blindspot

University of California faculty filed a lawsuit alleging that the grant cancellations relied on keyword filters and ignored individual grant performance, violating constitutional rights.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The Obama administration’s $35 billion Race-to-the-Top grant, announced July 24 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, required states to adopt common standards and merit-based teacher evaluations, sparking criticism from governors such as Bobby Jindal and teachers’ unions. That politicized funding model resurfaces in the Energy Department’s October 2025 cancellation of $7.6 billion of climate-grant awards, reviving concerns about partisan grant allocation.

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DOE Cancels Grants

In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy cancelled 284 research grants worth $7.6 billion in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the terminations were business decisions, not political, while OMB Director Russ Vought labeled the funding a “Green New Scam.”
Court filings revealed the cuts were based solely on the states’ Democratic support.
Democratic lawmakers, including Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, requested an inspector-general investigation.

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