This Bluesky thread was written by former Obama and Biden administrator, Zealan Hoover: I ran $100 billion in Infrastructure and IRA programs at EPA. We obligated over $70 billion onto signed awards and contracts to protect public health and the environment. All that funding is currently frozen. Here are the facts… On January 20, Trump signed Executive Order 14154 (“Unleashing American Energy”) that directed agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds” from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Law (IIJA/BIL). NOTE: EOs do not give agencies special power to break the law. Not paying grantees with signed grant agreements is illegal. While there are certain activities EPA has discretion to pause, such as designing new competitions and making new awards, once a grant award is signed with a grantee the government is legally obligated to pay them. This obligation to pay is clearly enshrined in 2 CFR § 200.305. Law states, “The recipient…MUST be paid in advance” unless on reimbursement in which case the agency still “MUST make payment within 30 calendar days after receipt of the payment request.” www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/2/2… On Jan. 27, OMB issued M-25-13. This memo directed agencies to “pause” all activities related to “assistance for…DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal” by 5pm on Tuesday. EPA’s CFO then issued an internal memo immediately freezing all BIL & IRA funds. On Jan. 28, several lawsuits were filed to stop the funding freeze from taking effect. U.S. District Judge AliKhan issued such an order,…