Staff ReportsThe Trump administration is once again putting taxpayer dollars in their rightful places by freezing certain federal grants, a move that comes on the heels of President Biden’s exuberant spending spree aimed at spreading “woke” ideology both at home and overseas. While Biden was busy green-lighting financial support for programs like “gender scholars” in Egypt and “girl-centered climate action” initiatives in Brazil, the U.S. taxpayer was left footing a bill running into billions of dollars that could easily have been spent on more traditional, American needs.
For the record, under Biden’s regime, over $100 billion was showered on “clean energy” projects – a term that appears to have more to do with flying the green flag than synonymous with pecuniary prudence. The recent decision made by the Office of Management and Budget to pause federal grants does not just signal a tightening of the purse strings, but it aims to restore sanity by adhering to Trump’s earlier executive orders aimed at dismantling the DEI initiatives and Green New Deal folly that have been plaguing government spenders like a bad habit.
Trump admin puts 'pause' on all federal grants, loans to root out DEI, 'woke gender ideology', and the Green New Deal
Each agency must conduct a “comprehensive analysis” to ensure that its grant and loan programs comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders.… pic.twitter.com/rJYIkPbAlk
— Kenny G (@Texas4Trump_24) January 28, 2025
In no uncertain terms, the White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt laid down the law—no more funding for DEI craziness, no more dollar signs going towards the so-called Green New Deal that has proven to be a wellspring of wasteful spending, and most importantly, no more backing for programs that promote fringe ideologies. The big question, however, looms: how does one extricate all this outrageous spending from the federal budget when it has been so deeply entrenched in aiming to extend woke views from coast to coast?
The reality is that the Biden administration had a joyous old time pushing DEI spending into the nooks and crannies of federal outlays. From “equity-centered teacher pipelines” to “justice-centered” geoscientist training, it’s staggering to see how many dollars have gone to programs that focus more on ideological indoctrination than on academic rigor or necessity. The National Science Foundation alone has rapidly increased its DEI budget from a mere $14 million in 2021 to a whopping $290 million in 2024, claiming that over a quarter of its grants are now dedicated to DEI initiatives.
Even the National Endowment for the Arts joined the circus, doling out cash for projects like a $10,000 grant aimed at drag queen ice skaters glorifying climate change. The Department of Education doesn’t escape this scrutiny, having handed out over $1 billion toward DEI-focused hiring and training, with some grants even going so far as to improve the inequities of discipline, evidently a higher priority than ensuring students’ actual education.
As the Trump administration now takes aim at unwrapping a colossal stash of ineffectively spent funds, analysts – like those from the Heritage Foundation – believe that it could be a tall order. Biden’s administration had its fingers in so many pies that reversing those policies will take time, but thankfully an effort is finally being made to put the brakes on what many deem an ideological spending spree. If allowed to continue unchecked, these agencies would plow ahead with their love affair for wasteful spending as if the nation’s wallet was endless. It’s high time they learned values of fiscal responsibility instead of misguided social engineering.
