Feds unfreeze $2.1B in funding for Pennsylvania

(The Center Square) – Eleven days after Gov. Josh Shapiro sued the White House to unfreeze billions in federal funding for Pennsylvania, the money is flowing again.

Shapiro said Monday that the legal challenge and “continued pressure” on the Trump administration to comply or face further action, moved the issue forward.

“Every dollar we identified at the filing of our lawsuit is currently unfrozen and once again accessible to Pennsylvania state agencies, in accordance with legal injunctions currently in place,” he said.

The funding freeze was issued on Jan. 27. Since then, several court orders have been issued against the president's directive, with many arguing that it’s unconstitutional for the executive branch to override Congress’s role in federal appropriations.

“To put it simply: a deal is a deal,” Shapiro said. “The Trump administration is legally required to provide these funds to Pennsylvania. That is why I took legal action, to protect Pennsylvanians.”

Projects immediately impacted by the freeze are wide-ranging. Shapiro cited funds for abandoned mine land which are currently allocated to recover 24,000 acres of land across the state. The money would also go toward plugging orphan wells and building and maintaining 16 water treatment plants to deal with toxic runoff. Along with the sinkholes they create, the mines are a major source of danger and disease, especially for rural Pennsylvanians.

With inflation and the cost of vital goods and services increasing to new highs, the impact of the freeze on people’s wallets is top of mind for many. Shapiro noted that some of the funding is intended to help 28,000 households lower utility bills through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Plan.