Agriculture
The Trump administration has eliminated over $35 million in funding intended to help Pennsylvania schools and food banks purchase produce from local farmers. These cuts significantly impact organizations such as the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Erie Food Bank, and Bucks County Opportunity Council, resulting in a substantial reduction in meals provided to vulnerable communities.
Economy
The administration closed the Harrisburg USDA office, firing employees responsible for rural loans and grants, and cancelled at least 45 contracts with local businesses. Hundreds of IRS employees in Philadelphia and at least 60 federal employees around Pittsburgh were terminated, disrupting services during critical periods like tax season. Layoffs also included National Park Service employees at economically beneficial sites such as Steamtown National Historic Site and Gettysburg.
Education
Federal education funds exceeding $343 million annually are at risk, specifically impacting programs that reduce class sizes and support specialists. Districts such as Carbondale and Hazleton rely heavily (around 15%) on these federal funds. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in Philadelphia is closing, potentially harming ongoing investigations into discrimination.
Social Security
Funding for research aimed at assisting disabled individuals navigating Social Security benefits was abruptly terminated, undermining policies designed to enhance self-sufficiency.
Transportation
The $40 million Riverside Drive revitalization in Allentown is stalled due to uncertainty about federal funding, despite being essential for emergency access, congestion reduction, and community revitalization.
Veterans
The administration has fired workers at Pittsburgh and Erie VA centers, negatively impacting veterans who rely on VA care, notably disabled veterans who express concern over the senselessness of the cuts. These cuts have sparked bipartisan criticism and concern over harming economic stability, educational quality, community health, veterans' support, and essential infrastructure development across Pennsylvania.
February 2025: Trump Administration Froze $150 Million Grant To Help Low-Income Pennsylvania Homeowners Reduce Electric Bills. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Most of the federal funds earmarked for Pennsylvania that are now frozen or restricted by President Donald Trump’s administration were set aside for environmental and energy projects. The money remains inaccessible to state officials despite a federal judge’s order that the funding be restored. [...] The state also cannot access $156 million in earmarked funds for a solar accessibility program that helps low-income homeowners and disadvantaged communities lower their electric bills and reduce carbon emissions." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/17/25]
February 2025: Trump Administration Restricted $180 Million Grant To Help Low-Income Pennsylvania Residents Weatherize Their Homes. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Most of the federal funds earmarked for Pennsylvania that are now frozen or restricted by President Donald Trump’s administration were set aside for environmental and energy projects. The money remains inaccessible to state officials despite a federal judge’s order that the funding be restored. [...] Some of the restricted initiatives — which are not frozen but sitting in a review period for an unknown amount of time — include a $186 million weatherization program for low-income residents to help them make their homes more energy efficient and save on energy costs. The program usually spends approximately $8,000 per household to make health and safety repairs and assess air leakage from the home, according to state officials." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/17/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cut Grant To Pittsburgh-Area Nonprofit That Helps Prevent Housing Discrimination. According to WESA, "A Washington County-based organization that enforces an anti-discrimination law in Western Pennsylvania has lost a $425,000 annual grant — part of a wave of federal spending being slashed by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort. The Fair Housing Law Center, based in Washington, Pa., has received funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development since 2009 to enforce the fair housing provisions in the 1968 Civil Rights Act. The landmark Civil Rights law, passed by Congress in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, religion, and other factors. It was updated to also prohibit discrimination based on disability and family status. The Fair Housing Law Center covers more than 30 counties in Western Pennsylvania and four in West Virginia.” [WESA, 3/17/25]
EDITORIAL: “How Can Housing Be A Priority If HUD Makes Cuts?” According to an editorial by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Pennsylvania has housing issues. There is a crying need for homes — whether houses or apartments — for certain sectors of the population. Specifically, there are needs for affordable housing in low-income and workforce price points where jobs that pay those wages exist. [...] The Department of Housing and Urban Development exists for a reason. People need it. Having government agencies that focus on housing issues does more than just help people keep warm and dry. It helps keep everyone’s property values up. It can affect tangential problems that get worse when people don’t know where they will sleep — problems like health concerns, mental health, drug abuse and crime. So it is no wonder that talk of cutting HUD field offices is alarming to local officials and those in need.” [Editorial - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 3/25/25]
April 2025: Chester County Food Bank Faced Empty Shelves After Trump Administration Cancelled USDA Programs. According to WPVI, "Inside the Chester County Food Bank are ceiling-high shelves of food that the nonprofit distributes across the area, but there are some shelves that are noticeably empty. 'You can see the whole top shelf is empty,' said Chester County Food Bank Director of Community Relations Nick Imbesi as he walked into the food bank's warehouse. 'We were devastated when we heard from the USDA last week that they were canceling our food order beginning today,' said Imbesi. [...] The federal cuts mean the cancellation of deliveries that food banks across the country were scheduled to get from the USDA: things like milk, cheese and a $30,000 egg order that the Chester County Food Bank received Tuesday after the nonprofit paid for the order using its own funds. [...] Chester County Food Bank says it has lost an estimated $250,000 in food deliveries from the USDA." [WPVI, 4/1/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cut Over $35 Million In Funding For Pennsylvania Schools And Food Banks To Buy Produce From Local Farmers. According to the Erie Times-News, "Pennsylvania received $6.8 million for the Local Food for Schools program and more than $29 million for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative and the expanded program, LFPA Plus, for a combined total of $36.7 million. It was set to receive another $35.9 million for 2025, including nearly $23 million for LFS and $13 million for the LFPA programs, according to the USDA." [Erie Times-News, 3/13/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Terminated Program That Allowed Central Pennsylvania Food Bank To Provide 500,000 Meals A Month Using Produce From Local Farmers. According to WGAL, "The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cut two federal programs that spend $1 billion each year to help schools and food banks purchase food from local farms. One of them is the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which would have provided about $500 million this year to support local food banks. The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is among the organizations that received funding from that program. 'The loss of this program will mean a loss of about $120,000 per month over the course of about 18 months, and so the impact is real. That equates to about 500,000 meals per month that we'll see a loss of,' President Shila Ulrich said. "Ulrich talked about the kinds of foods it used the money to buy from small and medium-sized farms. 'We're talking about the purchase of center-of-the-plate types of foods. So, things like milk, eggs, meat products and produce – really good, nutritiously dense foods that families across the Susquehanna Valley were using to meet their food needs in their households,' she said." [WGAL, 3/11/25]
March 2025: Pittsburgh-Area Food Bank Stated “We’re Not Going To Be Able To Provide Eggs, Maybe Have To Cut Back On The Amount Of Cheese We’re Giving [...] And The Possibility Of No Turkeys At Thanksgiving” After Trump Cuts. According to KDKA, "Food banks nationwide are facing a major funding setback after the USDA pulled more than $1 billion from programs that helped them buy fresh, local food. The cost of food is already rising, and with the USDA funding cuts, it'll create less access to fresh local food for schools and food banks, creating yet another challenge. 'When you cut this funding, you're putting people back into our lines to get food we're having to cut back on,' said Jennifer Miller, Executive Director of the Westmoreland Food Bank. An estimated $660 million for schools and another $500 million for food banks across the United States is set to be halted. 'One of two things is going to happen: we're not going to be able to provide eggs, maybe have to cut back on the amount of cheese we're giving, which is a wonderful dairy and protein item, and the possibility of no turkeys at Thanksgiving,' Miller added. " [KDKA, 3/11/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cut USDA Program That Allowed Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank To Purchase Two Million Pounds Of Food From PA Farmers. According to KDKA, "Pennsylvania farmers and producers have supplied millions of pounds of food through this program, with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank purchasing over two million alone. 'That was really the dual purpose of the funding coming in, is to not only provide food to those who critically need it, but to support our local food economies,' said Charla Irwin-Buncher, Chief External Affairs Officer with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank." [KDKA, 3/11/25]
March 2025: CEO Of Erie Food Bank Warned Of Local Impact After Trump USDA Cuts. According to Erie Times-News, "'We obviously hoped that it would continue or be officially codified,' said Greg Hall, the chief executive officer of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania, which serves an 11-county region that includes Erie and is one of 13 regional food banks across the state. 'It's really allowed us to purchase fresh and nutritious foods, specifically we're talking about things like milk, eggs, produce, fresh agricultural products like fruits, vegetables, that sort of thing — all of it from local PA farmers. And then we are able to distribute that down to our neighbors who are in need.' Hall said he was unsure as of Wednesday if all or just some of the funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative would be eliminated. Since the program began three years ago, the Second Harvest Food Bank has received $1.3 million, including $700,000 for the current fiscal year that began July 1, about 30% of its budget for food. That's equivalent to 1.3 million meals over three years, he said. 'It's definitely going to have an impact locally,' Hall said. 'That's going to be challenging for us and for our communities." " [Erie Times-News, 3/13/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cut USDA Program That Allowed Bucks County Food Bank To Provide Over 500,000 Meals In 2024. According to the Bucks County Courier Times, "Plans to cut $1 billion in federal spending could hit tens of thousands of Bucks County residents struggling with food insecurity every year. States received word earlier this month that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting funds for two cooperative agreements aimed at helping schools and local food banks purchase locally grown food from farmers. One agreement, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, has been used by the Bucks County Opportunity Council to purchase $800,000 in food over the last three years for its network of 75 food pantries and Fresh Connect farmers markets in Bristol Township, Nockamixon, Quakertown and Warminster. 'What it does for us is it allows us to purchase fresh food — nutritious food — from local farmers and other food vendors so that we can provide healthier options for people in the community,' Erin Lukoss, the council’s executive director, said Wednesday. 'Without it, we’ll have to cut back.' "Lukoss said the funding bought approximately 400,000 pounds of food in 2024, which equates to about 510,000 meals. " [Bucks County Courier Times, 3/14/25]
March 2025: Lancaster-Area Nonprofit Helping Farmers Adapt To Climate Change Planned To Furlough 60 Employees At The End Of The Month After Trump Administration Froze Grant. According to LancasterOnline, "A Pennsylvania nonprofit that helps farmers increase sustainability is getting ready to furlough 60 of its 82 employees if federal money is not released by the end of this month. In 2022, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture was awarded $55 million to help farmers adopt climate-smart agriculture methods and $34 million to offset costs farm workers endured during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the Trump Administration has frozen its contracts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told the group to keep working on their programs, but as of Wednesday, Pasa hasn’t been paid for 40 days. [...] About 50 farmers from Lancaster County are engaged with Pasa in some way. Two farmers have already installed climate-smart practices through the project and 12 were planning to, said executive director Hannah Smith-Brubaker." [LancasterOnline, 3/7/25]
May 2025: Tannersville, Pennsylvania, Florist Warned That Mother's Day Flowers Will Be More Expensive Due To Tariffs.
April 2025: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Business Owner Said Trump's Tariffs Left Small Businesses "Unsettled" And "Shaky."
April 2025: The Trump Administration Moved To Cancel The Lease For A Federal Office In Somerset, Pennsylvania. According to Bloomberg Government, “On Main Street in Somerset, Pa., a 2,700-square-foot office serves as a workspace for National Park Service employees at nearby historic sites including the Flight 93 National Memorial. That’s set to change at the end of September, when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency plans to close the office as part of a broader effort to save money. The shuttering of the Somerset office is one of 653 lease cancellations proposed by DOGE, aiming to save $350 million. The office-space purge, which includes the Washington headquarters of several agencies, appears in concept to align with President Donald Trump’s longstanding push to move federal functions away from the nation’s capital. But many agencies with large real estate footprints are already spread across rural areas, and the DOGE campaign has disproportionately targeted small towns. Batesville, Ark., with a population of less than 12,000, faces four federal lease cancellations, the same number as Arlington, Va., just across the Potomac River from Washington. Eastern Kentucky faces as many closures as New York City, with five each. Most of the lease cancellations are in states Trump won in 2024: 369 out of 653.” [Bloomberg Government, 4/23/25]
February 2025: Trump Administration Froze $400 Million Grant To Help Pennsylvania Industrial Companies Lower Carbon Emissions. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Most of the federal funds earmarked for Pennsylvania that are now frozen or restricted by President Donald Trump’s administration were set aside for environmental and energy projects. The money remains inaccessible to state officials despite a federal judge’s order that the funding be restored. [...] Among the projects stopped by the funding freeze is a nearly $400 million grant-backed initiative intended to support industrial facilities in reducing their carbon emissions. Industry is the highest-emitting sector statewide and accounts for 30% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the DEP. The federal grant supporting the program is the second-largest ever received by Pennsylvania." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/17/25]
April 2025: Trump Administration Fired Every Staffer In Office That Manages Program Helping 300,000 Households In Pennsylvania Pay Their Heating And Cooling Bill. According to WTAE, "The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program faces an uncertain future after mass layoffs at the program. The roughly two dozen workers who ran LIHEAP were among 10,000 people fired as part of a dramatic restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. [...] In Pennsylvania, 300,000 families rely on the assistance program to help cover heating and cooling costs, according to Shapiro." [WTAE, 4/4/25]
January - February 2025: Trump Administration Laid Off 400 Federal Workers in Greater Philadelphia. According to WHYY, "The federal workforce across the Philadelphia metropolitan area has shrunk during the first few months of Donald Trump’s second term as president, according to recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With a current total of 56,700 workers, 400 federal jobs were lost across the Greater Philadelphia area between January and February." [WHYY, 4/10/15]
March 2025: Trump Administration Closed Harrisburg USDA Office And Fired Eight Employees At Facility That Processed Loan And Grant Applications For Rural Areas. According to PennLive, "The main office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Pennsylvania is on the chopping block. Its employees found out via a public website directed by Elon Musk. Among them were two Harrisburg-area installations: the USDA’s state headquarters in Swatara Township and the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) water research site in Fairview Township. 'We actually just discovered the website ourselves this morning,' said an employee from the USDA branch office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. [...] Several dozen people in the Swatara office left or were let go in recent weeks, according to the employee with knowledge of the situation. Multiple USDA sub-agencies use the space; most of them are devoted to processing loan and grant applications for Pennsylvania residents and businesses. The state branch of the USDA’s Rural Development Office, for instance, had eight probationary employees fired at Swatara and a handful more from other regional offices, the employee said. The agency’s main purpose is to guarantee low-interest loans for home purchases, real estate improvements, and other investments to shore up the economies of agricultural areas. The processing staff for this work in Pennsylvania has now been cut in half, according to the employee." [PennLive, 3/4/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cancelled At Least 45 Contracts With Local Pennsylvania Businesses. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "As of Friday, East Hill’s contract was one of at least 45 contracts held by Pennsylvania companies that were allegedly canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency — the retrenchment task force better known as DOGE, which is led by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. The Pennsylvania list offers a window into the unsung work that Washington outsources to small and large businesses across the commonwealth — providing mental health treatment for workers in war zones, researching the safety and risks of implantable medical devices, integrating Biden-era climate change initiatives into public housing programs. [...] Still, an Inquirer analysis of 37 contracts DOGE’s data sample in Pennsylvania found more than half of the posted contracts tied to two agencies the White House has targeted for cuts: HUD and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. About 57% of the companies on the Pennsylvania list also are owned by veterans, women, or people from underrepresented groups." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/7/25]
February 2025: 400 IRS Employees Were Fired At Philadelphia Office. According to ABC 6 Philadelphia, "Hundreds of IRS employees who work in Philadelphia's University City neighborhood received termination notices on Thursday after they came to work. Sources tell Action News that nearly 400 probationary employees were fired. Employees said they were told not to do any work Thursday morning and were later sent an email that said they were terminated as of Thursday." [ABC 6 Philadelphia, 2/20/25]
Trump Administration Fired Five National Park Service Employees At Scranton, PA Museum That Contributed Over $5,000,000 Million To Local Economy And Supported 84 Jobs In 2017. According to WVIA Public Media, "The Cheseks were heartbroken to learn that five park employees were abruptly fired as part of National Park Service (NPS) cuts imposed by the Trump administration, and worry about what that could mean for Steamtown's future. [...] the museum was established in 1986 'to preserve, interpret and protect the history of steam railroading in America,' as its website states. Developed around a private collection that was moved from Vermont, the facility formally opened as a National Historic Site on July 1, 1995. [...] A 2017 National Park Service report showed that 99,600 visitors to Steamtown National Historic Site in 2016 spent $5,403,500 in communities near the park. That spending supported 86 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $7,432,400, the report added." [WVIA Public Media, 2/21/25]
February 2025: At Least 60 Federal Employees Were Fired In Pittsburgh Area. According to 90.5 WESA, "'I don't think [the right hand] knows what the left hand is doing,' said Philip Glover, national vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees’ District 3, which covers federal workers in Pennsylvania and Delaware at various agencies, including the departments of Energy, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and more. Glover estimated between 60 and 70 of his union’s members had been fired at various agencies across the state, with about 20 of them around Pittsburgh. That’s a tiny portion of the roughly 6,000 workers the union represents in the Pittsburgh area, though the exact scope of the layoffs remains unclear: Glover said leaders have received no communication from agency heads about the terminations, and requests for a list of affected employees have gone unanswered." [90.5 WESA, 2/24/25]
February 2025: Philadelphia Trump Voter Laid Off By Administration From IRS Position Attacked Firings For ‘Destroying People’s Lives For No Reason.” According to NJ.com, "An IRS worker who voted for President Donald Trump expressed shock after being among the roughly 7,000 people in the department to be laid off by the Department of Government Efficiency. Robert McCabe of Philadelphia told NBC10 that the Trump administration and DOGE, run by world’s richest man Elon Musk, are acting like a 'wrecking ball and destroying people’s lives for no reason.'” [NJ.com, 2/21/25]
April 2025: The Trump Administration Canceled A $100,000 Grant To Teach Science To Children In Philadelphia. According to the Philadelphia Enquirer, “In 2023, Historic Germantown received word that it had won a two-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to pilot a new hands-on science program for middle schoolers called Science Sleuths. The size of the award was relatively modest — $108,812 — but the impact promised to be enormous. If the initiative was able to prove its worth, it could be replicated, bringing accessible science education to thousands of Philadelphia students. Today, the program is calculating its losses. Historic Germantown recently learned the grant was one of hundreds across the country approved by the IMLS and the National Endowment for the Humanities that have been canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/27/25]
April 2025: The Trump Administration Cut Millions In Funding For Philadelphia-Area Arts And Culture Centers. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “The Woodmere Art Museum was promised $750,000. Now the money is gone. Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust won an award of $25,000, and that, too, has suddenly evaporated. In recent days, the federal government, normally a reliable piece of the funding puzzle for arts and culture groups, has canceled grants it had already approved but not yet paid. The Penn Museum, South Asian American Digital Archive, Rosenbach Museum and Library, and other groups in Philadelphia and beyond have received notices that millions of dollars in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute for Museum and Library Services have been scrapped. The funding cuts are the latest in a series being executed by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/17/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Executive Order Called For Reduction To Federal Agency That Previously Gave Millions To Pittsburgh Museums And Libraries. According to WESA, "The key federal agency supporting U.S. museums and libraries has been targeted by the Trump administration, with possible funding implications for arts and culture groups in Pittsburgh. The Institute of Museum and Library Services was among seven agencies President Trump named last week in an executive order mandating that they reduce staffing and functions to 'the minimum presence and function required by law.' Its 2024 budget was about $300 million. In 2024, Pittsburgh-based entities including the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Heinz History Center, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries received a total of nearly $900,000 in IMLS grants for purposes ranging from specific projects to professional development. In both 2022 and 2023, the IMLS gave more than $1 million to groups including the Children’s Museum, Phipps, CMU, the University of Pittsburgh Libraries, Carnegie Science Center and The Andy Warhol Museum." [WESA, 3/18/25]
February 2025: Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Was Forced Delay Decision On School Bus Investment After Trump Spending Freeze. According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, "Unionville-Chadds Ford School District in southeastern Pennsylvania was looking forward to new electric school buses, thanks to a combination of federal and state funding. The district, which is located in both Chester and Delaware counties, received a $1 million federal rebate grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and another $300,000 grant from the state. So last November, they placed an order for five EVs to replace their diesel ones. The new vehicles would not only be cheaper upfront with the help of the grant funding, but maintenance costs in the long run were expected to be less. But when federal funds were frozen last month, the school board was unsure what to do. They had already placed a purchase order and the buses were being made. That meant, even if the funds didn’t come through, the district may still have to fork over at least part of the payment. The board also had to put conversations about a $200,000 project to build out charging stations on the backburner, because it may not be able to afford electric buses at all. That’s according to the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Director of Facilities James Whitesel, who said everything remains on hold. Decisions need to be made so that the buses can be ready for the next school year, and a delayed vote on whether to fund the electric chargers is now scheduled for March." [Pennsylvania Capital-Star, 2/26/25]
February 2025: Trump NIH Cuts Could Cost Pitt $180 Million In Scientific Research Funding. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "The University of Pittsburgh will see about $183 million less in government research funding — overall at least a 25% cut — under a new National Institutes of Health directive that went into effect Friday, a policy change that could chill Western Pennsylvania’s meds and eds economy. The cuts affect research universities nationwide, a move some critics say could have dire consequences. The federal agency announced that it was reducing to 15% the amount that universities receive for overhead costs, such as depreciation, building maintenance and equipment costs related to research projects. For every NIH research dollar Pitt scientists receive, the university gets an additional 59 cents for these so-called indirect costs, far higher than the nationwide average of 27% to 28%, according to the NIH." [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/8/25]
February 2025: Trump NIH Cuts Could Cost Penn State $35 Million In Scientific Research Funding. According to the Centre Daily Times, "The National Institutes of Health announced last week it would reduce research funding by lowering the maximum amount it reimburses research institutions for overhead costs, a change Penn State said could cost it about $35 million in funding. The NIH, the country’s medical research agency, made the announcement on Friday that it will make cuts to grants that support research institutions in the United States — which includes Penn State. The cuts will be made by limiting the amount of 'indirect cost recovery' for research projects to 15%, down from an average of about 27% to 28%, the NIH wrote in a memo. The policy was set to go into effect Monday for all new grants from NIH and any new expenses on existing grants, but a federal judge temporarily blocked the new policy." [Centre Daily Times, 2/11/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cancelled Lease For Park Service Office At Flight 93 Memorial. According to WTAE, "Another office targeted by DOGE is a space in Somerset where the National Park Service oversees the Flight 93 National Memorial." [WTAE, 3/21/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Closed Department Of Education’s Office For Civil Rights In Philadelphia Despite Multiple Pending Complaints In The Area. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "The Education Department’s Philadelphia civil rights office is also closing, The Inquirer has learned. The office is a regional hub of its Office for Civil Rights, which handles parent and community concerns about possible discrimination and special education violations, among other matters. [...] Layoffs affected the department’s Office for Civil Rights. The OCR, as it is known, exists to 'ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in our nation’s schools,' it says. Its employees investigate cases related to sexual and racial harassment, disability services, ensuring schools provide a free and appropriate public education, and more. Multiple local agencies are the subject of current OCR investigations; the Philadelphia School District has five open cases alone." [Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/13/25]
February 2025: Around 55 National Park Service Workers In Pennsylvania Were Fired By Trump Administration, Including Those Who Worked At Gettysburg And Other Historic Sites. According to ABC 6 Philadelphia, "Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood is full of sites that tell America's story and attract a lot of visitors. 'The Liberty Bell Center across the street sees, on most summer days, 10,000 people a day,' said Edward J. Welch, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2058. The fear now, though, is that Independence Mall may not be able to keep up with the demand after losing park rangers in federal layoffs under the Trump administration. 'We've lost two at this park. There's been five or six at Gettysburg,' said Welch who estimates there are about 55 national park workers in his area who have lost their jobs under the federal layoffs." [ABC 6 Philadelphia, 2/19/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Spending Cuts Forced Hundreds Of Pennsylvania Camp Sites To Close. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Several federally operated campgrounds at one of Pennsylvania’s most popular summer destinations will be closed indefinitely due to 'executive-order driven staffing shortages.' Raystown Lake, in Huntingdon County, is the largest lake entirely within Pennsylvania. The 8,300-acre lake is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, according to a news release from the agency’s Baltimore office, staffing shortages will require staff to focus on 'dam operations for flood protection and emergency response readiness' ahead of the 2025 season. According to the Army Corps, the lake’s Seven Points, Susquehannock, and Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds all will be closed until further notice. All told, more than 300 campsites will be closed as a result of the announcement, including boat-in-only sites. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has targeted cutbacks at a slew of government agencies, including the Army Corps.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/19/25]
March 2025: Pennsylvania Trout Fishing Organization Faced Uncertainty After Trump Spending Freeze. According to the York Daily Record, "A Pennsylvania and national water conservation organization is concerned about the uncertainty of future federal funding to protect water resources. After a federal freeze was placed on national grant spending, Gov. Josh Shapiro was able to free up this year’s funding in February through filing a lawsuit. However, uncertainty about the money continues. Lenny Lichvar, president of the Pennsylvania Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said he’s still waiting for the money to start flowing again and is concerned for the future of his organization. 'The big bugaboo there is much of (TU’s) funding across the country, including in Pennsylvania, is federal grants and federal appropriations that have already been signed and contracted, you know, not something that's pending but under signed contracts, they have $180 million of signed federal contractual project work,' he said. It’s a waiting game. 'They have not been told that it won't flow. They have also not been told that it will flow,' he said about grant funds for Pennsylvania. [...] He’s concerned if the federal funding is stopped as it could jeopardize the future of Trout Unlimited. 'Quite frankly, national TU could as we know it now no longer exist if they can’t pay staff. If they can’t cover overhead,' Lichvar said. In Pennsylvania, Trout Unlimited has a Lock Haven office where they have eight or nine national TU staffers, which are all tied to federal grants, Lichvar explained." [York Daily Record, 3/13/25]
March 2025: Pennsylvania Doctor Warned Of Consequences Of Medicaid Cuts: "Some Will Go Bankrupt."
March 2025: Trump Administration Claimed To Cut Roughly $330 Million In Funding For Pennsylvania Health Programs Including Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services. According to WHYY, "Federal grant funding on the chopping block includes at least $301 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, according to a database on DOGE’s website that lists grant cuts as federal savings. Additional grant cuts specifically to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs are listed in the database for at least $28 million or more. These amounts have not been confirmed or verified by state officials and DOGE has reported incorrect data in the past. HHS includes federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration." [WHYY, 3/31/25]
April 2025: The Trump Administration Cut Funding For AmeriCorp, Denying Philadelphia Residents Help With Hurricane Ida Repairs. According to WHYY, “Standing in the kitchen of her North Philadelphia home, Francine Flemings describes how Hurricane Ida sent water gushing into her home in September 2021. Water poured from a broken downspout through a hole in the roof and seeped in under the door, damaging the ceiling and baseboards and compromising the structural stability of the floor. ‘I had standing water in here,’ Flemings recalled. More than three years later, she was about to get needed repairs with the help of volunteers working through AmeriCorps, a federal program that pays a modest living allowance of less than $100 a week to youth aged 18 to 26 years old, who work on a range of community service projects. But the Trump administration’s funding cuts led to an abrupt layoff of the volunteers, putting home repairs for people like Flemings on pause. ‘It makes me want to cry,’ Flemings said.” [WHYY, 4/18/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Cancelled Leases For 3 Mine Safety Offices In Western Pennsylvania. According to WTAE, "The Department of Government Efficiency said it is canceling leases for several federal government offices in Western Pennsylvania. DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, posted a list of office lease terminations on its website. [...] The list includes three Western Pennsylvania offices for the Mine Safety and Health Administration in Warrendale, Mount Pleasant and Waynesburg. The state headquarters office is in Mount Pleasant. The Warrendale office oversees mine inspectors in 14 states. DOGE said closing those offices will save $2.5 million" [WTAE, 3/21/25]
March 2025: York County Firefighters Were “Alarmed” By Trump Administration’s Decision To Close National Fire Academy. According to York Daily Record, "News that the Trump Administration abruptly closed the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., spread like wildfire, which, by coincidence, the academy offers training in combating. York County fire officials were alarmed that the academy, which offers free classes to firefighters and leaders in emergency management, had shut down training classes and recently canceled its women's weekend to comply with an executive order to cease any diversity, equality and inclusion programs. (That program was open to both men and women.) [...] Dan Hoff, chief of York Area United Fire and Rescue, was among those raising the alarm that the 'premier training location for fire department leadership, officer development and specialty areas such as hazardous materials and arson investigation' had been shuttered. 'The NFA provides opportunities to be taught by, collaborate with and network with some of the best in the business,' the chief said. 'The loss, even temporarily, of this educational resource is not something the fire service can or should be silent about.'" [York Daily Record, 3/13/25]
April 2025: Trump Administration Cancelled $2.5 Million Grant To Help Scranton Residents Recover From 2023 Flooding. According to WNEP, " It’s been well over a year since David Kozlanski was forced out of his home along Leggett Street in Scranton. The condemned property was one of 18 homes that were set to be a part of a city buyout, but now that’s not happening. 'Hey, you're getting to that point where it's gonna be close maybe to get the buyouts of the condemned properties, and when we got this, it was the call. I was just in shock,' said Kozlanski. 'The word shock with a capital S comes in mind.' The news was a shock for homeowners and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti. She says it was late on Friday when the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it would be ending its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, program. Cognetti says the program was set to provide $2.5 million in funding the city intended to use towards demolishing flood-damaged homes. The city already raised about $800,000 for the project but was counting on the federal funds in order to complete it. 'We got good news in August that it was tracking well just a few weeks ago, positive news again that it was tracking well. So this was a real shock for us, very much a shock and a disappointment, but we're gonna work through it, and we've been in touch with all the property owners to make sure they know that,' said Cognetti. The homes were damaged back in 2023 after heavy rains led to flash flooding. 'A lot of us have projects on hold for repairs or maybe moving somewhere else or doing something because we were waiting for the money, and now that's all back to square one,' said Kozlanski." [WNEP, 4/9/25]
April 2025: Trump Administration Cancelled $25 Million Grant To Improve Sewers In Philadelphia To Mitigate Flooding. According to WHYY, "When heavy rain sends water gushing into Philadelphia’s combined sewer overflow system, the pipes that carry both sewage and stormwater can fill up, forcing raw sewage into rivers and sometimes, basements. The Philadelphia Water Department has a plan to fix the problem in the Northern Liberties, South Kensington and Ludlow neighborhoods. The utility plans to build 1,600 feet of new sewers, which officials say will double the capacity of the current system, reducing the risk of flooding to 1,000 basements. The department expected the federal government to help pay for the Cohocksink Storm Flood Relief Project. Federal Emergency Management Agency had committed to contributing roughly $25 million, which would cover 70% of the project costs, according to publicly available FEMA data. [...] But last week President Donald Trump’s administration announced it is ending the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, grant program that would have helped fund the project, cancelling applications from the last three fiscal years and returning any money not yet distributed to grant recipients back to other parts of the federal government. [...] The Philadelphia Water Department has not yet received any of the $25 million FEMA earmarked for the Cohocksink Storm Flood Relief Project, said spokesperson Brian Rademaekers. The last phase of the project is not yet in construction, and federal grant funds are distributed as reimbursements. Without FEMA funding, the project will still go forward, Rademaekers said — but ratepayers may need to shoulder the cost." [WHYY, 4/11/25]
Federal Program Terminated By Trump Would Have Given Millions Of Dollars To Improve Infrastructure In Philadelphia. According to WHYY, “In addition to the Cohocksink flood mitigation money, FEMA had committed $6 million to help the Philadelphia Water Department protect one of its three drinking water treatment plants from storms, according to FEMA data. The grant was expected to help the city install two emergency generators above the 500-year flood level at the Queen Lane Raw Water Pump Station along the Schuylkill River. The project is currently in the design phase, and the water department has not yet received any reimbursement payments from the BRIC grant. In 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded the Belmont Raw Water Pump Station, which also draws from the Schuylkill River, causing pumping to stop for 11 days and putting the distribution of treated drinking water to West Philadelphia at risk. The Queen Lane generator project is part of the city’s 25-year plan to ensure reliable drinking water into the future. Without the FEMA grant, the project will still go forward, but in the absence of other funding to replace the grant, Philadelphia Water Department customers will pay for it through their bills, Rademaekers said.” [WHYY, 4/11/25]
February 2025: Trump Administration Cut Pitt Professor’s Grant To Research How Disabled People Use Social Security. According to PublicSource, "Nev Jones, associate professor in the School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh [...] Jones, who has schizophrenia, has dedicated her research career to helping people with serious mental illnesses. She and a colleague in California received a grant from the Social Security Administration [SSA] to study how people with disabilities navigate a catch-22: They’re hit with penalties if they try to work while claiming benefits. Advocates say the rules function as a trap, punishing people’s attempts to climb out of poverty. [...] They were told last week the agency is terminating its agreements with a research consortium that funded Jones’ study and many others that would help inform disability policy. An SSA press release called the research 'wasteful' and said the termination 'aligns' with a Trump executive order that eliminates federal support for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. A federal judge in Maryland blocked parts of the order Friday, so Jones’ project is in limbo until the court makes a ruling. 'It is particularly senseless,' Jones said, because the project’s goal was to help people become more self-sufficient, which is what many Republicans say they want." [PublicSource, 2/27/25]
HEADLINE: "Lehigh Valley Transportation, Climate Projects In Limbo Due To Federal Funding Uncertainty" [Morning Call, 3/15/25]
The $40 Million Riverside Drive Revitalization Project Along The Allentown, PA Waterfront Was In Limbo Because Of Uncertainties Around Federal Funding. According to the Morning Call, "Large-scale Lehigh Valley transportation projects, including the $40 million Riverside Drive revitalization project along the Allentown waterfront, are in limbo due to uncertainties surrounding federal funding. Local infrastructure planners report stalled communication with the U.S. Department of Transportation, leading to doubts that even fully funded projects will continue on their desired timelines." [Morning Call, 3/15/25]
Most Of The Federal Education Funding Pennsylvania’s 8th And 9th Congressional Districts Received Came Through Title Programs, Which Helped Reduce Class Sizes, And Helped Districts Employ Math And Reading Specialists And Support English Language Learners. According to WVIA, "The 8th and 9th Congressional districts receive more than $343 million in federal education funding yearly, much of it through Title programs for school districts. Title money helps reduce class sizes, employ math and reading specialists and support English language learners. Cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency have included $900 million for federal education research. In an appearance on Fox News this week, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Trump is taking ‘bureaucracy out of education so that more money flows to the states.’" [WVIA, 3/12/25]
The Carbondale Area School District In Lackawanna County Relied On Federal Education Funding For About 15 Percent Of Its Budget, One Of The Highest Percentages In Pennsylvania. According to WVIA, "As of the 2022-23 school year, the Carbondale Area School District in Lackawanna County received $5 million in federal funding — about 15% of its total budget. The percentage is one of the highest in the state. On average, the budgets of the state’s 500 school districts included 6.4% of federal funding, according to state data." [WVIA, 3/12/25]
Hazelton, PA Relied On Federal Education Funding For 14.5 Percent Of Its Education Budget. According to WVIA, "Hazleton received $31.8 million, or 14.5% of its budget, in 2022-23. While the Trump Administration said it plans to continue Title and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding, the dissolution of the department and impact on the Luzerne County district is known, Superintendent Brian Uplinger said. ‘It is essential to consider these potential impacts carefully and advocate for solutions that ensure continued support and protection for all students,’ he said." [WVIA, 3/12/25]
March 2025: Trump Administration Fired Workers At Pittsburgh VA System. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Pittsburgh, a longtime hub for veterans and veteran resources, has not been spared — a small number of probationary staff at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System were already dismissed this month, a spokesperson confirmed. Pennsylvania has a veteran population of more than 800,000, the fourth largest in the country." [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/3/25]
February 2025: Trump Administration Fired VA Employees At Erie Medical Center. According to the Erie Times-News, "A 'small number' of Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center staff were among the 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees dismissed nationwide Feb. 13 as part of the Trump administration's large-scale efforts to reduce the federal government workforce. Officials with the Erie hospital declined to say exactly how many workers were laid off or what jobs they held." [Erie Times-News, 2/21/25]