Your weekly resource to learn what the environmental movement is saying about the news of the day and the political fight of our generation. This week, we’re covering clean energy and democracy wins in the states, the Trump administration’s weaponization of government funds, and opposition to the nomination of Todd Blanche for attorney general.
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“This is an astounding admission that the president and his team corruptly abused their power to kill good jobs and punish hard-working families because of their political views.”
— Senator Patty Murray (WA) and Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) on Trump’s Department of Energy cancelling clean energy grants in states that did not vote for him.
“The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center near our town.”
— Willie Nelson urging people to resist the build out of a data center near his hometown in Texas.
“This administration is dragging us backwards while the rest of the world moves forward as we work to tackle climate change.”
— LCV President Pete Maysmith on how Trump’s energy policies are harming our communities and environment.
ARKANSAS DISTRICT CUTS COSTS, EMISSIONS WITH ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES: With the help of federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Clean School Bus Program, the Little Rock School District in Arkansas added electric school buses to their fleet last fall. About a year later, the district’s average operating cost per mile has fallen from 59 cents to 31 cents. Electric school buses are not only less expensive to operate (in this circumstance, about half the cost), but are cleaner, safer alternatives to diesel options that contribute to climate change and health issues like asthma and other respiratory diseases.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CANCELLED DOE GRANTS FOR STATES THAT DID NOT VOTE FOR TRUMP: Court documents revealed that the Trump administration has cancelled more than $7.5 million in grants for clean energy “based solely” on political criteria. Every cancelled project, with only one exception, was located in a state that had voted for Kamala Harris over Trump in the 2024 election. This stunning acknowledgement proves what we knew all along: Trump has weaponized federal funding as a tool to hurt his opponents, and in doing so, has harmed communities across the country.
OUR TAKE: On Bluesky, LCV said, “The Trump administration admitted in court documents that it intentionally canceled $7.5 billion in clean energy funding to states that did not vote for him in 2024. You are paying more than ever for your energy bills so Trump can own the libs and get his revenge.”
TRUMP HAS POLITICIZED, WEAPONIZED DISASTER AID: Recent emails and agency documents revealed that, despite regional offices of FEMA and NOAA determining that New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York (all Democratic-led states) met thresholds to receive federal aid after February’s record-breaking blizzard, Trump denied these states’ aid requests. This is part of an ongoing pattern of Trump weaponizing federal disaster aid against his political adversaries. He has consistently denied federal disaster aid requests from Democratic-led states, while approving about 90% of requests from states led by Republicans.
NEW JERSEY CELEBRATES STATE’S VOTING RIGHTS ACT: On Tuesday, Governor Mikie Sherrill invited New Jersey LCV and state partners to the official signing event for the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act after it was passed earlier this month. New Jersey enacted these protections following the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which gutted the federal Voting Rights Act. The new law protects New Jersey residents by prohibiting voter dilution, banning voter intimidation, and expanding language access, among other measures.
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE: New Jersey LCV Interim Executive Director Allison McLeod said, “At a time when Congress and the courts continue to chip away at voting protections, New Jersey is demonstrating that a strong democracy begins with protecting every person’s freedom to vote. We thank Governor Sherrill for signing the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act into law, along with the legislative champions, advocates, coalition partners, and community members who made this historic victory possible. Protecting the right to vote is essential to protecting every other issue we fight for—from clean air and clean water to affordable clean energy and healthy communities. When every voice is heard and every vote counts, New Jersey is better equipped to elect leaders who will protect our environment and build a healthier, more equitable future for all.”
NEW JERSEY LCV TAKE 2: On Instagram, New Jersey LCV Interim Executive Director Allison McLeod said, “Even as the Supreme Court guts some of our critical voting rights protections, we know that here in New Jersey, your confidence in your ballot, your access to the ballot box, and your right to make your constitutional vote count will be protected. Voting is fundamental to our democracy, and it’s the building block of our nation, and we are so grateful to our partners, legislative champions, and advocates who have fought for years for this day to see this bill turned into law.”
ILLINOIS PRIORITIZES SAFEGUARDING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AMIDST TRUMP’S ATTACKS: Illinois governor JB Pritzker and his administration have advanced legislation to protect Illinoisans from the worst environmental impacts of the Trump administration’s rollbacks on climate protections. The legislation includes keeping superior PFAS standards in place and implementing a coal ash law.
IEC TAKE: Illinois Environmental Council CEO Jen Walling said, ”Across the country, states are forced to decide whether they will wait for Washington or lead themselves. Illinois has consistently chosen leadership.
“That leadership matters. Strong environmental laws are not abstract policy victories. They are the reason a child drinks safer water, a family breathes cleaner air and communities avoid devastating toxic contamination.”
TODD BLANCHE CONFIRMATION VOTE POSTPONED DUE TO A LACK OF VOTES: Senate GOP leaders postponed the vote to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general because it didn’t have enough votes to succeed. Republican Senators John Cornyn (TX) and Thom Tillis (NC) have withheld support for Blanche’s nomination because of concerns about his handling of Trump’s IRS audit immunity deal and the proposed $1.8 billion slush-fund for Trump allies.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Director of Judiciary & Democracy Doug Lindner said, “This confirmation hearing has shown Todd Blanche will only continue to be Trump’s lawyer, upending generations of Justice Department ethics and independence. Blanche has consistently weaponized the DOJ while Deputy Attorney General for the president’s personal agenda. He has protected Trump’s friends and targeted his perceived enemies, has decimated environmental and civil rights enforcement, has attempted to use funds from the Justice Department to pay off Big Polluters, and tried to give nearly $2 billion taxpayer dollars to the president and his fellow insurrectionists.
“No one is above the law, but Todd Blanche’s track record shows that he will help Donald Trump undermine the rule of law, the Constitution, and the people’s freedoms and protections. The Senate must reject this dangerous nomination and demand an Attorney General who works for the people, not just the president and his corporate billionaire friends.”
TAKE 2: In a letter to the Senate, LCV President Pete Maysmith said, “During Blanche’s tenure with the department, thousands of career public servants have been purged from the DOJ, devastating federal civil rights, voting rights, and the environmental law enforcement, as well as internal compliance with federal ethics law. He has misused DOJ funds to pay polluters to cancel clean energy projects and reinvest in fossil fuels. Moreover, his alarming evasiveness in response to questions at his confirmation hearing about illegal voter intimidation by federal agents at polling places this fall not only threatens the integrity of free and fair elections, but also shows that, if confirmed, he will continue to advance the president’s agenda at the expense of the American people. For all these reasons, LCV strongly urges you to vote NO on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be United States Attorney General. We will strongly consider including votes on this nomination in our next Scorecard.”
LCV VICTORY FUND TO INVEST AT LEAST $50 MILLION IN 2026 MIDTERMS: LCV Victory Fund has announced plans to invest at least $50 million in the upcoming midterm elections to prioritize flipping the House, expanding pro-clean energy seats in the Senate, and supporting the work of all state affiliates to elect climate candidates.
LCVVF TAKE: LCV Victory Fund Senior Vice President of Campaigns Sara Schreiber said, “We know that voters are fed up with skyrocketing energy costs fueled by greed, data centers, and Republicans in the White House and Congress who opposed building more clean energy. Building off of the momentum of the 2025 election cycle where candidates who ran on energy affordability won decisively, we have an opportunity to elect leaders who will get us back on track and hold the utilities, data centers and polluters accountable. That is why we are calling out the Republican candidates who have stopped the fastest and cheapest option–more clean energy–from getting on the grid at precisely the moment it would help the most. And we’re making sure people know which candidates to vote for if they want lower energy costs now.”
ON THE BLOG: Stay tuned for exciting new content, coming soon to The Power Source Blog! In the meantime, check out this blog from the Illinois Environmental Council on the impact of Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill on Illinois a year after its passage.
ON OUR SOCIALS: The Trump administration has been going after public lands, first by trying to turn New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon into a drilling site and then by approving, with no public input and over local community opposition, the first data center on public lands in Nevada. All the while, the administration continues to neglect national parks by diverting funding meant for maintenance to vanity projects.
AUGUST 11: National Poll Worker Recruitment Day
©2026 League of Conservation Voters