Trump to Defund Democratic Aligned Groups -$1.1B

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is escalating a multi-front campaign to slash funding for organizations and programs it casts as Democratic-aligned, a strategy that could put $1.1 billion** in public media funding, **nearly $1 billion in already-approved federal grants, and 8,000 career civil service jobs on the chopping block. The push combines legal hardball, bureaucratic restructuring and direct political targeting — and it is already being tested in court. THE $1.1 BILLION PUBLIC MEDIA FIGHT** An executive order and a subsequent rescission package sought to eliminate **$1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS and NPR. The move would be one of the largest single cuts to a perceived Democratic-aligned institution in modern history. THE NEARLY $1 BILLION POCKET RESCISSION** The administration has used what critics call “pocket rescissions” — sending cancellation requests so late in the fiscal year that the money expires before Congress can act. The White House has used this tactic to slash **nearly $1 billion from programs related to immigration and foreign aid. The Government Accountability Office has ruled the practice illegal, saying it bypasses Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. THE 8,000 JOBS AT WILL To weaken internal resistance, the administration revived and formalized Schedule F — now called Schedule Policy/Career. The order reclassifies roughly 8,000 career policy-making roles into at-will positions, stripping them of civil service protections. Federal unions have sued, arguing it violates the Civil Service Reform Act and undermines a merit-based system. THE BILLIONS TARGETING BLUE STATES The administration has halted or paused billions of dollars in approved funding for transit, green energy and other programs in Democratic-led states and cities. In one case, the Energy Department admitted grants were canceled “solely” based on the political identity of the recipient’s state. During a government shutdown, the White House canceled aid to 16 states, most of them Democratic-run, and threatened mass layoffs at what it called “Democrat agencies.” THE DOGE AX The Department of Government Efficiency has served as a rapid implementation force, driving layoffs and funding reductions across agencies including the Social Security Administration and AmeriCorps. DOGE has claimed billions in savings, often bypassing traditional oversight. THE LEGAL SHOWDOWN The administration argues it is aligning spending with the president’s priorities and rooting out waste. But the strategy faces major constitutional hurdles. Courts have already blocked parts of the agenda, and the Supreme Court may ultimately decide whether the White House can override Congress’s spending authority. For now, the administration is betting that speed and legal ambiguity can achieve what Congress refused to do. The final price tag — and whether it sticks — may be decided not in the White House, but in the courts.