Good afternoon,

We've made it to week two in President Trump's America and things are still feeling overwhelming. What we know so far remains the same; Trump is talking a big game. He's hitting hard on issues through threatening executive orders with daunting deadlines. His actions continue to show that his personal agenda is at the forefront, not the American people. It's only a matter of time before rural Americans grow impatient waiting for his promises to come to fruition and they start to feel the consequences of his actual policies.

Here are a few important updates ...

PUTTING THE OVERREACH IN OMB

Late yesterday, the Trump Administration's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo to place a freeze on the distribution of all government grants and loans. This is a far reaching (legally overreaching) memo that impacts at least 20-percent of the entire federal budget and hits programs at every level of state and local government. These programs could include, but aren't limited to: Medicaid; school breakfast and lunch programs; Section 8 rental assistance; Title I education grants; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; state grants for childcare; Head Start; and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. These programs, on a percentage basis, serve more people in rural and red states than they do in blue states and cities. Trump's voters are about to see firsthand the agenda they voted for last fall.

The legality of this order is very much in doubt. The 1974 Impoundment Control Act requires that spending implemented by the Executive Branch, but authorized by Congress, must be carried out without interference or alteration. Surely there will be multiple legal challenges to follow, as states will be forced to waste more public monies to challenge this unlawful order. What remains to be seen is if the Trump packed Supreme Court will side with the law or with their party.

MAKING AMERICA'S COLLEGES MORE EXPENSIVE

According to a New America analysis, most Americans "agree that obtaining a college education is important for economic success and that it should be less expensive." However, Republican legislators are considering a tax policy change which would increase the cost of college for students receiving grants and scholarships to fund their education. College is already extremely expensive, and our country has yet to find a permanent solution to the issue. If the proposed changes are enacted, pursuing careers in essential fields like education and medicine would be even further out of reach for many Americans.

Currently, student grants and scholarships that pay for tuition, fees, books, and supplies are not considered taxable income. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that 64% of all undergraduate students receive grants to help pay for their education. Furthermore, a rural-urban gap in people who have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher has increased with rural areas trailing. Higher education prices would only worsen this educational gap and make higher education out of reach for many rural Americans.

EXECUTIVE ORDER OUTLOOK: CLEAN ENERGY ON THE LINE

Among the many executive orders President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office was an official declaration of a National Energy Emergency. This action demonstrates "how serious the incoming administration is about establishing its own energy policy." The declaration enables Trump to suspend some requirements under the Clean Air Act and aligns the administration's priority to expand fossil fuel production in the U.S. to meet growing demand for power.

According to a 2024 Rural Climate Partnership report, at least 47% of all emissions from carbon-intensive energy production in the U.S. come from rural America. Additionally, roughly 60% of coal-fired power plants are based in rural America. With the central role that rural America has in our country's energy industry, Trump's aggressive policies will take a toll on these communities and their economies. On top of this, Trump has ordered federal agencies to "immediately pause" all Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law payments. The IRA is the most significant climate legislation in our country's history. Rural Americans should pay attention to these drastic changes as they relate to their communities and their neighbors. This is not a drill; The future of climate change and clean energy is on the line.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Impoundment: The Executive Branch unilaterally withholding funding for projects that were authorized by Congress. The 1974 Impoundment Control Act prohibits this action. The Act was passed after President Nixon repeatedly refused to release funds for programs that had been authorized by Congress.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

$852,000 – The cost of "migrant repatriation flights" to transport 80 migrants for 12 hours based on estimates from the Department of Defense. The Trump administration has "initiated deportation flights using U.S. military planes," a move that significantly increases costs compared to flights chartered by the Department of Homeland Security.

Confirmation Hearings are underway for Trump nominees. Some key positions are listed below:

• Wednesday, January 29
  • 10 a.m.: Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce
    • The hearing will be streamed on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee webpage.
• Wednesday, January 29
  • 10 a.m.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services
    • The hearing will be streamed on the Senate Finance Committee webpage.
• Wednesday, January 29
  • 2:30 p.m.: Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration
    • The hearing will be streamed on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee webpage.
• Thursday, January 30
  • 10 a.m.: Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
    • The hearing will be streamed on the Senate Intelligence Committee webpage.

• Not Yet Scheduled
  • The failure to deliver background checks and paperwork related to ethic clearances have delayed the scheduling of several nominees of interest, including:
  • Labor Department nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer

The DNC chair election will be held on February 1, 2025.

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