Republicans burned as mass grant cancellation wipes out their own road projects

Republicans set out to eliminate "equity" programs as part of President Donald Trump's cultural agenda — but many of those programs, including the "neighborhood access and equity" initiative, turned out to be important infrastructure projects in their own states.

According to The New York Times, "Republicans in Congress pushed through a sprawling domestic policy bill that rescinded all money awarded through the Biden-era transportation program that had not yet been spent — $3.2 billion in total."

That funding comprised 55 projects, 19 of which were in Republican districts.

"They included rebuilding highways, new underpasses and overpasses, and pedestrian and bike trails," said the report. "The biggest included in GOP-held districts included $147 million to design and build a 30-mile trail in Jacksonville, Fla., represented by Representative Aaron Bean; and $74.9 million to rebuild a highway in Missoula, Mont., represented by Representative Ryan Zinke; and the project in St. George, represented by Representative Celeste Maloy."

The cancellations have caused chaos and uncertainty in a number of these communities, the report noted: "Donna Deegan, the Democratic mayor of Jacksonville, said last month on a local radio show that she was being encouraged to reapply for federal funding through a different grant program 'and perhaps get some of that money back.'" She added, “I don’t know that we would ever get $147 million again. I hope so.”

This also comes as Republicans voted to dissolve the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides vital grants to radio stations in their own districts to disseminate emergency information, and as hospital executives have raised alarms that Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" will spell disaster for rural medical care.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) called out Republicans for their shortsightedness on the transportation funding as the bill advanced, noted the report.

“I’m unsure if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle intended to rescind funds that help reduce road fatalities and make our streets safer, or if the word ‘equity’ is so triggering because you think inclusion is a bad word,” she said.